How to Escape a Sinking Car

obuolys 1 month, 3 weeks ago on Twitter

Kaip išsigelbėti iš skęstančios mašinos? http://artofmanliness.com/2009/11/10/how-to-escape-a-sinking-car/

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How to Escape a Sinking Car « The Neanderthal Post 2 months, 2 weeks ago on Wordpress

[...] How to Escape a Sinking Car Last week, 3 college softball players in North Dakota drowned when the jeep in which they were riding became submerged in a pond merely 12 feet deep. While their deaths are still being investigated, authorities say that foul play was not a factor; it was simply an unfortunate and tragic accident. What surprised me after reading the report is how frequently such accidents occur. According to some studies, over 10,000 water immersion auto accidents happen each year. Some people involved in these accidents survive; some do not. If you careened off the road and into a lake, would you know what to do?  Continue reading… [...] ... See all content Hide content

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Stephen Clay McGehee 2 months, 3 weeks ago on Wordpress

I will have to side with Robert on the door vs. window question. The idea is to get out as quickly as possible, and that means through the window. Opening the door means 1) you are pushing against a whole lot of water that is rushing in, and 2) a whole lot of water is rushing in causing the car to sink just that much faster.

I readily admit that I base this on the one and only experience I have had with a car in the water, and not on a TV program or controlled experiments. That experience though, will stay with me for the rest of my life. You don’t watch someone die without it causing you to think about it a lot. I can tell you that if I ever find myself on the inside looking to get out, I will be going through the window – not trying to open the door.

As for the car rolling and becoming disoriented, when I watched that car go down, it went straight down with the heavier engine on the bottom and the lighter trunk pointed up. It might have been different if the driver had tried to get out through the window immediately before it sank though, since she most likely would have pulled her weight up on the roof of the car. On the other hand, she would have been partially floating, making her effective weight less. You just can’t say for certain. All I know is that I would do anything I possibly could to get out just as quickly as possible. A seat belt holding me down would create a sense of panic, so I am pretty sure I’d be getting out of it just as quickly as possible regardless of what any studies might say. At a time like that, you are not doing a careful study and analysis – you are scrambling to get out fast. I saw just how many dumb things I did during that event – and I wasn’t the one in the car.

As for alligators, which one person mentioned – I’ve been around them enough to be pretty confident that they would be getting away from the area as quickly as they could. Not a problem (I hope). ... See all content Hide content

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Robert 2 months, 4 weeks ago on Wordpress

I don’t know about the window versus the door debate, but there is debate over whether to take your seat belt off immediately like the diver above says, or to leave it on until right before you exit like this article says. This is a good website to check out:

http://saveyourlife.us/escape_sinking_car.html

It says:

“There have been studies done by Survival Systems USA, a Groton Connecticut company specializing in aviation and marine safety and survival training. They note that once a vehicle sinks it may turn sideways or upside down. Occupants who are not buckled in with a seat belt will float within the vehicle and can easily become disoriented. It then becomes extremely difficult for them to find the windows or door handles. They believe that if you remain in your seated position (as you will if your seatbelt remains fastened) you will retain your orientation regardless of what position the vehicle is in.”

Also, I saw the Mythbusters where they did the sinking car experiment, and it’s true-Adam was easily able to get out of the car simply by opening the door. ... See all content Hide content

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55Minutes 2 months, 4 weeks ago on Twitter

Survival!!! http://bit.ly/loLVZ

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Murchada 2 months, 4 weeks ago on Wordpress

Nicholas, I’d think it’s the same procedure – get out! Maybe strip off anything that’s going to make it hard to swim or escape, like a bulky winter jacket.

I’m not sure there’s much that can done about the cold water. My closest experience is getting an ice cold shower and finding breathing really difficult. I’ve read that you can go comatose/paralyzed as soon as you hit cold water. Women and children are less affected.

Mary Kay – great work – saving lives I’m sure!

Duncroft Masterworks – pendants honoring ancient warrior cultures

http://www.duncroftmasterworks.com ... See all content Hide content

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hayley_cox 2 months, 4 weeks ago on Twitter

What to do when your car sinks! That's right - sinks! http://bit.ly/3OCXwh

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Alain 2 months, 4 weeks ago on Wordpress

wow interesting article i never would have thought that way but i just pray i never have to use this knowledge in my life ..lol

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Mary Kay Kidwell 2 months, 4 weeks ago on Wordpress

This is yet another amateur “solution” that can get someone killed. Trust the experts: Dr. Giesbrecht, mentioned above, has made numerous studies of this situation and has proven that immediate escape through a window is vital. I’ve consulted with him several times, as well as with the Indiana State Police dive team, who have produced a video that demonstrates the correct method and focuses on the important things to remember: pop seatbelt, open window, get out through the window and climb atop the car. Then, and only then, call for help. Do not open a door; this is what caused my teenage grandson’s death. He got his friend out the door and then became trapped. Since his death I have researched this issue and have set up a web site with information and links to the experts, including a link to the State Police video titled “Two Minutes to Survival.” Check it out at http://sites.google.com/site/getoutaliveorg. You can save yourself and others in the vehicle. ... See all content Hide content

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Brett McKay 2 months, 4 weeks ago on Wordpress

@JB-

The article says that your survival chances go from 50% to 30% not when you open the door immediately, but when you wait for the car to fill with water and then open the door. The guy in the Top Gear video shows that opening the door immediately is actually very effective. Although he is right that it probably causes your car to sink much faster, so I definitely wouldn’t do it if you had kids in the car.

@Roger-

It’s a deadly idea to call 911. Yes they can track you, but you only have a minute or two to escape and if you use that minute to make a call, then you’re dead. The article JB shared had a great quote:

“When your vehicle hits the water, you have about a one-minute window to get out,” said Gordon Giesbrecht. “You should never touch your cellphone.” ... See all content Hide content

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CoffeeZombie 3 months ago on Wordpress

This brings me to another question: it’s all well and good to have everyone go out a front window when you are in a 2- or 4-door coupe or sedan. I wonder what one could do in a mini-van or similar vehicle. For example, I have a Honda Odyssey, with automatic side doors. The windows in the back open just enough to vent and the windows on the doors don’t open at all. The automatic doors can be a PITA to operate (they will not open if the car is not in park, for example), and because they’re designed to be opened by motors, they are tough to move manually on dry land.

I suppose the best bet one may have in such a situation is to ensure that a window-breaking tool is available in the back as well as for the driver/front-passenger. On the upside, the back windows are the largest windows in the car (windshield and rear window not included).

Any thoughts? ... See all content Hide content

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karl_quick 3 months ago on Twitter

Advice every man must know: how to escape a sinking car http://bit.ly/heXZE @MythBusters

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wendylotano 3 months ago on Twitter

How to Escape a Sinking Car | The Art of Manliness: http://url4.eu/jeEv

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LBitner99 3 months ago on Twitter

Awesome article! http://tinyurl.com/y8fqkyd #fb #artofmanliness

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Lee Hart 3 months ago on Wordpress

@Ryan,

They make models that you can keep attached to your keychain, which would be reachable from your seat, or you could keep it in your center console box (nearly all cars have some form of center console compartment that closes, so it would not be thrown around in a crash) Also, as was suggested before, you could attach or hang it from your rearview mirror, which for most people is reachable from their seat, even when you can’t move your torso forward or back. ... See all content Hide content

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Ryan 3 months ago on Wordpress

@ Lee, and everyone else

Just to play devil’s advocate…

Where do you keep the belt cutting tool if in fact the pretensioner in your seatbelt goes off and you are tightly strapped to the seat?

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Scoutsigns 3 months ago on Twitter

10,000 times a year? New survival skill! >>How to Escape a Sinking Car | The Art of Manliness http://ow.ly/Bnkh

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JB 3 months ago on Wordpress

Gordon Giesbrecht, a professor at the University of Manitoba, has actually done controlled studies of escapes from vehicles in water (with kids). The Toronto Star ran an interview with him after the recent drowning deaths of three young women in North Dakota: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/721068–how-to-get-out-of-a-sinking-car-seatbelts-children-windows-out. Giesbrecht’s procedure (unlike the one suggested here) is “Seatbelts, Children, Windows, Out.” You can’t get your kids out if you’re all belted in, and opening any door will let water in and sink your vehicle immediately. Once that happens, your chances drop from over 50 percent to around 30 percent or less. The window punch/seatbelt cutter, however, is a good suggestion — Giesbrecht keeps one on his rear-view mirror. ... See all content Hide content

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Benjamin Eikey 3 months ago on Wordpress

Great article, but I’m disappointed to not see a post honoring those who have served this great country. Today is Veterans Day, after all.

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Stephen Clay McGehee 3 months ago on Wordpress

I’ve never been on the inside looking out, but I’ve been on the outside looking in. We’ve all seen the movies where a car runs into the water and the hero dramatically struggles for what seems like an eternity before bursting to the surface. I learned first-hand that it doesn’t work that way.

Exactly 3 years ago yesterday, my wife and I, along with my parents, were driving in Orlando to go to a dinner show. On the way, we watched as a car ran across a road and into a pond. It was going pretty fast, so it went quite a way out before it stopped. I stopped the car and pulled off the curb, ran out and started wading into the water. The car had been in the water maybe 30 seconds at most and the water was just below the window level. The woman in the driver seat was screaming for help. I thought, “Cool. It’s just sitting there in a shallow drainage area and I’ll just wade out there and help her to shore.” No such luck. It got deep very quickly and I swam out to the car. A couple other folks got in just seconds after I did and we all got there at about the same time. Here’s where it gets interesting.

I went to the passenger side, but quickly went to the driver side instead. It’s all kind of a blur, so I don’t remember exactly why other than he wasn’t responsive or the window was up – I just don’t recall. We’re trying to get the woman to just crawl out the widow but she just sat there screaming for us to help her. At this point, she could have crawled through the window (even though she was a “very large” woman) and things would have been a lot simpler. She missed her chance. Water started running in through her open window and things started to get really unpleasant quickly. In just a few seconds, that car went nose down straight to the bottom – with both of them still inside. I and about 3 or 4 other guys (by this time) were left treading water over nothing but a column of bubbles. Several of us tried to dive down, but it was just too deep for us to do anything. I could dive down enough to see the rear of the car, but not deep enough to do anything. At some point, the woman made it to the surface. I don’t know how, but I assume she decided to crawl through the window. She was helped to shore and by now a large crowd had gathered, sirens were on the way, and I could see 2 helicopters headed this way. The passenger finally made it to the surface (again, I have no idea how), but he was apparently dead. No pulse or breathing, and when we left, they were still doing CPR on him. With nothing more we could help with, and now just being more folks in the way, we left (made it to dinner but looked really bad and shivered the rest of the night).

OK, now for the whole point of this: Lessons learned.

1) Swimming and treading water with dress clothes, and all the junk that I routinely carry, is NOT easy. By the time I got to the car and tried convincing her to get out, I was so winded that I couldn’t do much good. I am a PADI certified Rescue Diver, so it’s not like I was completely new to this stuff. Being 50+ years old doesn’t help either though.

2) If you’re the one in the car, make sure the window is down. At this point, I don’t think I’ll feel comfortable crossing major bridges unless the windows are down. Opening the door just isn’t gonna happen until you’re at the bottom. Also, the water rushing in through the window builds up speed VERY quickly making it very difficult to get past. Get out NOW.

3) “Muscle memory” applies. When I got out, I turned the car off and put the keys in my pocket; my wife couldn’t move the car when needed. Dumb. Really dumb, but I didn’t even realize I had done it. You react the way you train, and this is the best lesson I’ve ever had on that.

4) “Tunnel vision” applies. I was focused on the car and didn’t think to remove my wallet, cell phone, etc. before going in. Result – dead phone, dead car remote, soaked wallet, etc. Not fun and not cheap.

5) Have something to break out the windows. I now have a “Life Hammer” mounted in easy reach. I hope I never have to use it.

After it was all over, I started to think of all the things that could have gone wrong and made a bad thing even worse. I (or others) could have gotten my shoes or pants tangled in the car and been dragged down with it; I could have gotten grabbed in a death-grip by the woman while leaning in to try and loosen the seatbelt; or I could have simply gotten so exhausted that I just sank by myself. As we drove away, I thought about how easily one of us in the water could have gone down and no one would notice in all the confusion. Lots of things that could go wrong. My point here is that running in to help someone is not always the best thing to do. Our Western culture tells us to value life and put our own at risk if need be – but don’t get yourself killed in the process. Help if you can, but there’s nothing manly about leaving your wife a widow.

Just my opinion, anyway. ... See all content Hide content

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Envirogisgirl 3 months ago on Twitter

How to escape a sinking car Art of Manliness Read this!I rolled a car into a lake in Australia,I was lucky.. http://tinyurl.com/y8fqkyd

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rambodoc 3 months ago on Twitter

http://bit.ly/3OCXwh How to escape a sinking car. Mumbai tweeps, plz note. Gr8 article.

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mywatersource 3 months ago on Twitter

How to Escape a Sinking Car | The Art of Manliness http://bit.ly/244VUo

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occaraccident 3 months ago on Twitter

How to Escape a Sinking Car | The Art of Manliness: Try to remain as calm as possible. Don't waste your ene.. http://bit.ly/3z8sI

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El_i 3 months ago on Twitter

מאמר חשוב לאור מצב הכבישים בארץ ובעיקר בתל אביב

http://bit.ly/2QjNZw

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El_i 3 months ago on Twitter

http://bit.ly/2QjNZw פוסט חשוב לאור מצב הכבישים בארץ ובעיקר בתל אביב

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