Imagine driving along down the road when suddenly a deer pops out of nowhere. Instinctively you swerve to avoid hitting it and in the process you lose control of the car and end up in a lake. Immediately the car starts to sink and it quickly begins to fill up with water! What do you do?
If you were inside of a sinking vehicle, would you know what to do? Many people have no idea what their best course of action would be in such a situation. They’ve probably never even thought about it before because the chances of that ever happening seem so remote.
In the United States alone it’s estimated that upwards of 400 people drown every year in cars that become trapped in water. While it may be rare, the possibility of it happening to anyone, anywhere, at anytime remains. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
If you know what to do and how to escape a sinking car, you’ll be much better prepared and more likely to survive the event. Most people panic and freeze when caught up in a flooded car because they don’t know what to do. Some try to call 911 for help, but by the time it arrives it’ll be too late and that type of reaction is more likely to get you killed than saved. Every single second matters and from the moment you hit the water the clock starts ticking.
The main thing you want to do is get out of the car as quickly as you possibly can. The first thing you should do is roll the window down while taking off your seat belt. It’s vital to roll down the window because the water can cause a car’s computerized electronic system to malfunction or short out.
If you go under trapped in a car with rolled up windows and closed doors, getting out becomes all but impossible. Unless you have a special tool designed to break the car window, nothing short of superhuman strength will be able to smash through the pressurized glass.
Once the window is down and your seat belt is off, get out of the car as quickly as you can because oftentimes you have less than one minute to react and get out. If you are a passenger in the back seat of a car with windows that don’t roll all the way down, you’ll have to go out the front window. If there are young children in the back seat they need help from an adult and should be taken out of their seats and passed through the front window, after it has been rolled down and the adults seat belt unbuckled.
Be sure to watch the accompanying ABC News clip that shows you exactly how to react and escape from a sinking car. They run through several different scenarios, including getting out from the front seat driver’s perspective, as a rear passenger, and helping kids out. Share this article and clip with friends and family because the information it contains may end up saving your life one day, or that of someone you love.
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