How about knowing some of these life hacks so that you can save yourself the trouble in case you ever find yourself in such a scenario? It is also good to know these facts so that you can refer them to your friends.
The question is, if your car were sinking, would you have any idea what you’d do first?
Here is what you should do if you ever find yourself inside a car that is sinking in water:
You’ll need to get out as fast as possible.
Mark my words, it is good to be aware of these things so that you are prepared. Do what you have to do and find your way out of that car before it gets worse.
You’ve got less than 2 minutes to survive; make that split decision.
Research has it that a car takes an estimated 30 to 120 seconds to drown, depending on the situation you are in. That is why it is vital that you know exactly what to do if you ever find yourself in the unfortunate situation. Whatever you do, know that there are just those minutes left to unbuckle. Don’t even think of the valuables that are available; you want to get your life first. In this scenario, your life comes first. The rest can be replaced, but your life can’t.
Reduce the impact of a fall.
The very first thing you should put in mind is reducing the impact if the car falls from a certain height. To achieve this, your hands must be on the steering wheel at 9:15 as if it were a clock. Having done that, you’d save yourself the trouble of being exploded by an airbag, which will spare you a few seconds to act!
Remain Calm
It is a very crucial and risky thing to ask, but it is indeed required, so always relax once you are inside the water. Panic reduces energy, uses up precious air, and causes you to blank out. As soon as you see that you are about to head into a body of water, take a couple of deep breaths and tell yourself, “I need to stay focused and act immediately. And adhere to the following steps:
Before the water completely fills up the passenger compartment, you’ll have a few moments, so remove your seatbelt and ensure that if there’s any with you, they as well comply.
After doing that, move the children to the front seats if there are any with you onboard.
Don’t prioritize opening the door yet.
The water around the vehicle will exert pressure on the door from outside, making it hard to open, and even if you succeed in doing so, it will just let in more water, accelerating the sinking process. Instead, roll down a window. If it doesn’t work, then consider breaking the window with a sharp object or by kicking it. And remember, these are the side windows we are talking about, not the window shield.
After you’ve succeeded in breaking the window, get out.
Start swimming as fast as possible to the surface, and if there were children with you, start with releasing the eldest child and pushing them out of the window before going for the younger ones. This is because there are high chances that the eldest might be able to help the younger ones escape after he or she is out. Should it not break, then just open the door.
Remove heavy clothing and shoes.
While you await the car to submerge, remove heavy clothing as well as shoes that can prevent you from swimming with ease to the surface.
Follow the bubbles when you get out of the car.
Open the door, forcefully. To avoid the friction of the water, take a deep breath and swim towards the surface. In order not to get disoriented, follow the trail of the bubbles that will always go to the surface, or If you don’t know which way to swim, look for light and swim toward it.
Always keep calm, as only people with the ability to remain calm can get out of such an incident unscathed.