Critical tips for escaping a submerged car

Do you have the knowledge and quick thinking required to save your life if you're ever in a rapidly sinking car?

We hope that you will never need this advice, however, it is always better to be prepared for the worst. This is what you need to know if you ever find yourself inside a car that is sinking in water.

How long does it take for a car to sink in the water? An estimated 30 to 120 seconds, depending on the circumstances and the vehicle.

That is why it is vital that you know exactly what to do if you ever find yourself in the unfortunate situation of your car sinking while you’re inside.

In just over a minute you have to react and save your life. Speed and decision are fundamental factors.

The first thing to know is how to reduce an impact if the car falls from a certain height. To achieve this, your hands must be on the steering wheel at 09:15, as if it were a clock.

This way, you’ll avoid the airbag hitting you in the face. Doing so can save you precious seconds.

Once in the water, it is essential to remain calm and to follow the next steps.

Before the water completely fills the passenger compartment, you’ll only have a few moments, so you should remove your seatbelt and make sure that the rest of the passengers do too.

If there are kids in the car, you should move them to the front seats, after you have removed your seatbelt and everyone else’s.

Photo: Anton Luzhkovsky/Unsplash

The water around the vehicle will exert pressure on the door from outside, making it difficult to open. And even if you do succeed in opening the door, it will only let in more water, speeding up the sinking.

Electronically controlled windows might still work for a few moments after the car has submerged.

However, if the window regulator does not work, you have to break the glass of one of the windows, with a sharp object or by kicking it.

Do not try to break the windshield, as the glass there is much stronger than the side windows.

Once you’ve broken the windows, get out as fast possible before water starts flooding the inside of the car.

If you are travelling with children, you should start freeing the eldest child first and push them out of the window before going for the younger ones. This is because the eldest child can potentially help the younger ones after escaping from the car.

If you can’t break the window, there is only one alternative left to rely on: when the car has submerged enough to balance the pressure and be able to open the doors when the water has not yet completely covered the passenger compartment.

While waiting for the car to submerge so that you can open the doors, it is advisable to remove heavy clothing as well as shoes or boots which can prevent you from swimming with ease.

Open the door, forcefully. To avoid the friction of the water, take a deep breath and swim towards the surface. In order not to get disoriented, follow the trail of the bubbles that will always go to the surface.

Getting out as fast as possible is your best chance to survive. As soon as the car submerges, only people with the ability to remain calm can get out of such an incident unscathed.

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