Do you know what to do if you’re ever trapped in a sinking car? Most of us feel confident in our ability to escape, but the reality of the situation is often far scarier than you might imagine.
Over 10,000 cars are involved in submersion accidents yearly, and while some drivers survive, others aren’t as fortunate.
This is why knowing what you can do to save your life in such a situation is essential. When your car is filling up with water, and you can’t see or feel anything, the only thing that can help you is knowing exactly what to do so you can get out.
There are many valuable tips that you can apply in such a situation, but the best advice we can give you is to drive safely.
People who drive safely are less likely to be involved in an accident and can sell any car they’ve owned without much hassle.
1- Remain Calm
Don’t let yourself panic. If you start panicking, you’re already losing valuable seconds you should be using to escape. Try to stay calm even if lots of water starts filling your car. Avoiding hyperventilation is very important for conserving oxygen and energy, so make sure to take deep breaths and focus on analyzing your surroundings.
Concentrate on escaping, and you’ll have a much better chance of getting out of the car alive. If your car manages to survive the ordeal, you can value your car for an accurate and reasonable estimation of how much it is worth.
2- Act Quickly
It would be best if you tried to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. The first 30 seconds are the most important because most vehicles float for 30 to 120 seconds before they start sinking.
Make sure you use these few seconds to analyze your surroundings, decide how you will escape, unbuckle your seatbelts, and calm down the passengers in your car if there are any. You’re much more likely to exit the sinking vehicle if you act quickly.
3- Don’t Wait
Some people freeze up and wait too long to act. When the car starts actually sinking, opening the doors becomes impossible because of the different pressure on the inside and outside of the vehicle.
Some people say that you should wait for the pressure to equalize so you can open the doors, but you are likely to drown before that happens. Consider this a worst-case scenario, but don’t ever rely on it.
4- Escape Methods
● Avoid the Door
As stated above, your best chance of escaping through the door is by opening it as soon as you hit the water. Otherwise, you’ll have spent most of your energy and strength on trying to open the door. The car will immediately sink when you open the door, which makes it very risky to do if you have passengers onboard. Keep the door as a last resort if you can’t do or think of anything else.
● Lower a Window
This is one of the best methods for escaping a sinking vehicle. You should try rolling down the window even if your car is automatic because automatic windows don’t immediately short circuit when you hit the water. This should be done quickly as automatic, and manual windows cannot be rolled down when the water pressure starts mounting.
● Break a Window
This is probably the best option for escaping a sinking vehicle. This will be much easier if you have a tool like the life hammer to help you, as windows are much stronger than you might think. Don’t attempt to punch through the windows or windshield; instead, cover your elbow with a shirt and try to smash through.
