How to excape from a sinking car.

[Turbinator]

This might end up saving your life one day, and it is very interesting to watch.

 

[N_Molson]

Nice. The main point : don't panic, fear is your worst enemy there ! Staying rational is your best chance.

 

[Xyon]

Panic is not fear. I defy anyone to be in that situation for real and not feel fear, it's how you manage it which is the issue. In that, fear is not your worst enemy, it is what drives you to escape. Panic, on the other hand, is an adverse response to fear which has serious consequences. I've seen cars fished out of lakes with people still pinned in place by their seat belts - that's what panic does. Fear is ever-present in dangerous situations. Panic is not.

Uh, /rant. Sorry about that

 

[garyw]

Xyon raises a very good point. I've had a situation where a woman collapsed on the train right in front of me. It was obvious it was an epileptic fit, I knew exactly what to do and I just stood there and did nothing. Panic set in and froze me to the spot.
So, knowing what you are supposed to do and actually doing it are two different things.

I kick myself about that to this day.

 

[Aviator]

what im curious about, is how difficult would it be to kick a window 'out' against the pressure of the water if a car was submerged?

or would the weight of the water make it easier to smash it?

 

[Unstung]

The Mythbusters defied a few points in that video:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFVCC-Hk_ZI"]YouTube - mythbusters s05e03 3[/ame]

 

[jinglesassy]

The mythbusters did an episode on this awhile ago and the best way to smash the window is to wait for the car to fill so the pressure equalizes smash it and swim out.

 

[Xyon]

The mythbusters did an episode on this awhile ago and the best way to smash the window is to wait for the car to fill so the pressure equalizes smash it and swim out.

By that time, there's no need for you to smash the window. Nothing is preventing you from opening the door. However if the lake you drive into is sufficiently deep, you will drown before the pressure equalises. Much better to calmly exit the vehicle as quickly and safely as possible, all mythbusters proved was that a car door underwater opens more readily when the internal pressure equals the external.

 

[Deke]

Much better to calmly exit the vehicle as quickly and safely as possible, all mythbusters proved was that a car door underwater opens more readily when the internal pressure equals the external.

I would say false to this.

When the car is sinking, whether you're in a frantic hustle or not, your movement could potentially shift the vehicle, causing it to roll and do other actions that could further complicate the situation.

You still have air while water is building up. And it is in fact best to wait until the car is full or near full to either kick a window out or open a door. It's nearly impossible, if so impossible, to open a door under the water with the pressure pressing in on it. Rolling down the window would only cause an imbalance.

 

[garyw]

Not so. A car will always sink at an angle - the heaviest point facing down - the engine block. Any movement you input inside the car is negliable compared to the great weight of the engine.

 

[Deke]

Not so. A car will always sink at an angle - the heaviest point facing down - the engine block. Any movement you input inside the car is negliable compared to the great weight of the engine.

Depends on how much force you in act while rummaging about. We have heavy people here in Louisiana, I'm more than willing to bet they are capable of causing a car to roll underwater. :lol:

 

[T.Neo]

If a car masses 800 kilograms, and the engine masses 300 kilograms, and the escapee is a male with a mass of around 80 kilograms...

The engine represents 37.5% the mass of the car. The escapee would be equal to 10% the mass of the car.

As for escaping from a sinking or submerged car, the Mythbusters results are pretty interesting.

They also tested a number of objects for breaking window glass; maybe you can kick out a window if you are an action hero, but a tool (even a spring-loaded center punch) will break the window pretty easily.

 

[Ghostrider]

Drive a convertible. Problem solved.

 

[Deke]

Drive a convertible. Problem solved.

So damn logical that it just might work. :thumbup:

 

[Ghostrider]

So damn logical that it just might work. :thumbup:

Yeah. Not to mention chicks dig convertibles.

 

[garyw]

In the UK that would mean escaping from a car full of water almost everyday...

 

[RisingFury]

In the UK that would mean escaping from a car full of water almost everyday...

In the UK, escaping from a car full of water would mean moving to Europe...

 

[n122vu]

In Soviet Russia, sinking car tries to escape YOU.