Survival Tips - How to Escape from a Submerged Car

In the unlikely event that your car gets submerged under water with you in it, you still need to know what to do in order to survive. Staying calm and preserving your energy is the key to getting out alive. No one wants to think about something horrible happening like this, but it can.

If you find yourself headed into a lake or river, stay calm. I know it's a hard thing to do but you must stay calm. If you panic, you will not be thinking clearly and you will use up your energy and air supply. Once your vehicle hits the water immediately roll down your window and try to open your door. If the water hasn't reached a few inches higher than the bottom of the door, you might still be able to get out. If it has, the pressure will be too great to open the door. Do not panic if you can not open the door.

Why are you unable to open your door? Water exerts more pressure than air. So this means until the pressure is equalized on both sides of the door, you will not be able to open the door and escape.

If you are unable to open the window, you need to break it. It is a good idea to carry a small window breaker with you. Some multi tools have them built in. They will easily break the window. You can also buy an automatic punch style breaker which you simply push against the window and a spring will release the punch and break the window. These types do not require much force on the users end. If you do not have a glass breaker, you need to kick or find a heavy object to break the window with.

If you are unable to get the window open before the water reaches it, pace your breaths for when you break it. Water will rush in very fast and can cause people to panic and drown. You will most likely need to wait for the inside of the car to fill up before you can exit the window because the water rushing in will be so strong you might not be able to get out. Wait for the water to get up to your neck. Now that the pressure is equal on both sides of the door, you can either go out the broken window or open the door and get to safety.

Staying calm is the key to survival.