The odds of veering off a bridge and plummeting straight into a river or the ocean in your vehicle are low but never zero. A car can be a death trap for the unprepared. Its sheer weight means you’ll sink to the bottom of any deep enough body of water, so it’s important to know how to get out.
How to Escape a Sinking Car: A Step-by-Step Guide
When it comes to escaping a sinking car, the first two minutes will decide your fate. Water will quickly fill your vehicle, so don’t waste a second.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to do anything to help yourself or your passengers if you don’t know how to get out. Here are some steps that could help you survive or save a life.
Step 1: Unbuckle Your Seatbelt
If your vehicle slips into a deep body of water, the first thing you need to do is unbuckle your seatbelt. Seatbelts are essential for your safety, but getting stuck in them is a step closer to drowning.
Typically, unbuckling your seatbelt would be enough to get out of it. However, if you get a seatbelt that won’t pull out, you’ll need to find a way to cut it free.
It’s a good idea to keep a roadside emergency kit or some kind of cutting tool in your vehicle. Keep it someplace that’s easy to reach from the driver’s seat. This way, you can free yourself even if the seatbelt buckle is stuck or broken.
Step 2: Make an Escape Route
As your car sinks, the water pressure rises, which means you’ll have a hard time swinging your door open. So, once you’ve unbuckled your seatbelt, quickly get the window open. That’ll be your escape route.
Even if your vehicle is stuck in the water, electronic components and switches will still work for around a minute. In most cases, you should be able to lower your window all the way. If your vehicle has roll-down vehicles, roll them all the way down as quickly as possible.
If you’re unfortunate enough to have a stuck window, you’ll have no choice but to break it open.
If you have a roadside emergency kit in your vehicle, you can use a hammer to smash the window open. Otherwise, find a hard, sharp object, like a headrest, that you can use to smash the window open.
Whether you lower the window with the controls or if you break it open, water will fill your vehicle at an alarming rate. Once this happens, you’ll need to move quickly.
Step 3: Escape Your Vehicle
The second the window is open enough for you to fit through, climb out as quickly as you can. Stay calm and focus on your breathing as you make your escape.
If you have passengers, avoid flailing and kicking as you make your escape to avoid accidentally hitting them. Instead, use your arms to pull yourself out. Only use your legs if you have no other choice.
Step 4: Swim to the Surface
Once you’re free from your vehicle, hold your breath and swim up. Watch out for obstacles and hazards in the water, such as ice, rocks, boats, and bridges. In case the body of water your vehicle fell in is frozen, look for the opening it made and swim that way.
If it’s dark and there are no light sources to swim to, head in the direction opposite your sinking vehicle. Your car is heavy enough to sink straight down which means you don’t want to swim deeper into the water.
Step 5: Call For Help
After making it to dry land, call emergency services to report the accident and request help. If your phone is damaged or if you left it inside your car, hail passersby on the road for assistance.
If you’re coming out of an accident, your body might be full of adrenaline. You might fail to notice any serious injuries you might have sustained amidst your escape, so get a medical evaluation as soon as you can. Also, be sure to warm up after escaping the water (especially in winter) to avoid getting hypothermia.
Once everything has settled, you’ll have to ask for assistance to retrieve your vehicle. At this point, knowing what to do with a flooded car will help you make the most of this bad situation.
Dos and Don’ts That Can Save Your Life
Besides following the steps above, keep these dos and don’ts in mind to increase your and your passengers’ chances of safely escaping your sinking vehicle.
Dos
- Help the children escape first.
- Keep a roadside emergency kit in your vehicle at all times.
- Stay calm and act immediately.
Don’ts
- Call emergency services. Contact them only after you’ve escaped.
- Open the door. Water will enter the vehicle faster.
- Wait for the car to be completely submerged. Make every second count.
Helping Your Passengers Escape a Sinking Car
If you have passengers with you, make sure they know what to do. Take control of the situation and explain what needs to be done.
Once everyone is unbuckled, Instruct them to open the windows on their respective sides and attempt to escape. Help children out first and get them through the windows before attempting to break out yourself.
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Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.
