The content of the article:
- Preparing for a collision
- Unfastening the seat belt
- As soon as the car is in the water - immediately open the window
- Getting out through broken glass
- Faster to the surface!
- Advice
Every day, thousands of accidents occur around the world and thousands of people die. Much less often, as a result of an accident, the car ends up in the water, and in this situation the lives of the driver and passenger largely depend on the degree of self-control and the speed of reaction. In this case, you need a clear understanding of what is happening with the car, a clear plan of action and composure.
It is difficult to maintain composure while watching the interior of a car fill with water. But there is a way out of this situation - you just need to follow a clear algorithm.
Prepare for a collision
If you realize that you will find yourself in the water, prepare for a collision. Contrary to popular myth, falling into the water is not soft - the injuries sustained can be comparable to those of a car hitting a pole.
Place your hands on the steering wheel at the 9 o'clock position, with your right hand on the steering wheel at 3 o'clock and your left hand at 9 o'clock. With any other combination, the likelihood of various injuries is high.
Remember that the airbag will deploy and deploy in just 0.04 seconds. If the hands on the steering wheel were in the "ten to two" position, then when the airbag is deployed, they will be thrown with great force directly into the face, which is guaranteed to lead to injury.
By staying calm, you will be able to act adequately, thereby increasing your chances of survival.
Unfasten the seat belt
Once in a sinking car, many die because of the fastened seat belt - in a panic attack, they simply forget to unfasten it. Therefore, a clear plan is needed: to unfasten yourself, unfasten the children, open or break a window, get out of the car.
After releasing the belt, you need to unfasten the children, and you need to start with the oldest ones - they will help free the kids.
You no longer need a mobile phone. The car sinks and it won't wait for you to make a call - many of the victims ignored this rule.
As soon as the car is in the water, immediately open the window
The car electronics will be able to work for about three more minutes - this time needs to be spent on opening the windows. Many people forget about this alternative way out and spend time and energy on opening doors. We forget about the doors - you can open them only in the first seconds after touching the water.
As soon as the car starts to sink, opening the doors is almost impossible, since the water pressure will not allow it to do so. Closed doors will help save precious time for rescue - a car with closed doors sinks from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, and if you open them immediately after falling, the gushing water will instantly fill the interior and the car will sink in about 7 seconds.
The part of the car in which the engine is located begins to sink first. With this in mind, you can move to the opposite part of the cabin, which should be above the water level, and open the doors if they are not already under water.
To break the window
If for some reason it was not possible to open the window, or it is not open enough, you can use any object to break the window.
If there is nothing to break the window with, then you need to act with your feet. If you are wearing high heels or stiletto heels, aim for the center of the glass. Otherwise, the emphasis is on the side of the window or its upper part.
You should not try to break the windshield - it is made of a special composition, so in this case you cannot waste time and effort on useless actions. Side windows are much more likely to help you out.
Use any object to break: laptop, umbrella, fire extinguisher, wrench. Even a simple bunch of keys can help if you hit with great force.
Forewarned is forearmed. You need to get a center punch - this is a special tool that will allow you to break a window in a variety of situations. It is small and does not take up much space, and you can put it in any small compartments on the car door. As a last resort, you can use a small hammer.
Get out through the broken glass
The window is broken. Draw in full lungs of air and swim out. At this time, a strong stream of water will pour into the cabin, but numerous experiments prove that it can be overcome. In any case, there is nothing to wait and this is your only way to salvation.
Children are the first passengers to be rescued. If they can't swim, get them to the surface as quickly as possible. If there is nothing floating on the water, you must immediately swim to the shore.
It must be remembered that leaving the car can cause injury with feet to those who are still inside. Therefore, only work with your hands.
Get out, even if the cabin is filled with water
If the salon is completely full, you have a maximum of a minute or two left to survive. Only complete concentration on their actions, and only composure. If the window is open or broken, we get out through it. If not, we try to open the door.
Continue to breathe evenly and calmly for as long as possible. As soon as the water has reached the level of the chest, you need to draw full lungs of air and hold your nose with your hand.
The mouth should be tightly closed to prevent air leakage and water ingress.
If the window was broken in advance, we get out through it. Or try to open the door from the inside. If the water is cloudy and nothing is visible, try to feel for the lock by moving your hand along the inside of the door.
Faster to the surface!
When you leave the car, you need to orient yourself under the water. Well, if the light is visible, then we float on it. You can also navigate by air bubbles - they always float up. We push off from the car and float up.
Remember - danger can be expected on the surface of the water: current, supports of various structures, wreckage, floating facilities.
Due to severe stress and increased adrenaline, a person may not feel pain from their injuries. Therefore, if you have safely reached the shore, ask for help from passing drivers who can take you to a medical facility, or simply ask the first person you meet with a request to call an ambulance.
General tips on how to escape from a sinking car
- We help children first. Adults can help themselves.
- Turn on the headlights. If you can't get out on your own, there will be at least some chance that rescuers will be able to detect the car by the burning headlights in the muddy water.
- Nothing extra. Keys, heavy objects, shoes - all this will prevent you from floating safely to the surface. Get ready to get rid of all this as quickly as possible. Forget all valuable things - smartphone, documents, money. Life is the most precious thing.
- In most cases, the pressure inside and outside will equalize only after filling the cabin with water. Therefore, the development of events is likely when you just need to sit and wait for filling, and then leave the car.
- Rely only on yourself. It is unlikely that rescuers will come to your aid - as a rule, there is simply not enough time for this.
- Get a small center punch that you can carry with your keys and store in the salon.
- The metal part of the head restraints is perfect for breaking glass.
Being in a sinking car is scary. But your life and the lives of your passengers will depend only on you. Adequacy of thinking and a clear sequence of actions will help you to be saved even in the most unfavorable combination of circumstances.
