How To Survive If Your Car Is Underwater

S inking in a body of water is among some people’s worst nightmares. Sinking while in your car can be even more frightening. 

However, if you stay calm and know how to survive if your car is underwater, you may still end up surviving.

Let’s find out how to survive a sinking car depending on the scenario at hand.

The Initial Impact

The first step is to stay calm; panicking will only cause you to breathe faster and lose oxygen, decreasing your overall odds of survival.

Crashing into a body of water such as a lake is not like most people imagine; the initial impact can be quite jarring.

The impact can cause the airbags to deploy. The driver needs to get into the brace position, with the hands at the 10 and 2 ‘o’clock positions for the airbag to deploy safely. 

The passengers should just stay sitting as they were, hopefully wearing their seatbelts already.

Open the Windows

This step is one of the most important ones in the entire procedure. Keep in mind that in all probability, you won’t be able to open the doors once you are afloat. The water pressure is simply too high to allow that.

The windows are probably the best escape routes in this scenario. The idea is that once you are submerged, you and the passengers should be able to float out the windows and float to the surface.

The window of opportunity to open the car windows is quite limited: around the first 30 to 60 seconds. After that, the windows might not open. Modern cars have electronic power windows, and they might stop working once underwater.

If the car has sunk low enough, a torrent of water might rush in quite forcefully.

What if You are Submerged Before You Open the Windows?

Your focus should be on breaking open the windows now. The car might be filling with water fast. Air is a precious commodity at this point, and unnecessary effort will burn precious oxygen.

Assuming that your head is above the water, keep your head up. Your passengers should instinctively know what to do. Don’t worry about them at this point, we’ll get to them later.

Here are some additional tips to keep in mind in a complete submersion scenario:

• Don’t attempt to break open the windows using your bare hands as being underwater will greatly mitigate your blows on the window. Your best bet is to use a metallic object to break them open.
• Don’t attempt to break open the windshield; it is quite thick and heavily reinforced.
• Aim for the side windows, and hit the edges instead of the center. If there is no metallic object in the car, your best bet is to use the headrest in the seat.
• Take out the headrest, and hit the edges of the side window using the metallic tongs of the headrest. In anticipation of the torrent of water that will flow in, take a deep breath and hold it in.

What If You Can’t Open The Windows?

In case you can’t open or break the windows, your best bet is to try to open the doors. Wait for the car to submerge completely, taking a deep breath beforehand.

Once the car is submerged, the pressure inside the cabin and the surrounding water will be equal, possibly allowing you to open the door. 

You might not be able to hold your breath for very long. Waiting for this to happen is not ideal; escaping through the windows is your best bet. 

What Do You Do After Opening A Window or a Door?

First, don’t let go of your breath. Having your lungs full is what allows you to float to the surface.

Swim out of the opening of the car. Don’t kick with your feet; use your hand to propel you forwards. This way, other escaping passengers might accidentally get kicked.

If there are kids in the car, get them out first. It's easier helping them up, rather than floating to the surface and going back to them. 

If there are several kids, try helping the oldest first; he might be able to help the other kids get to safety.

Should You Get Medical Treatment?

Yes, you might be injured and not have noticed because of the initial adrenaline rush. Hypothermia can also be a cause for concern. Call emergency medical services, or flag passing cars for help.

This scenario is one in which you should hopefully never find yourself in real life. However, if you know the basics of how to survive if your car is underwater, you’ll have a real fighting chance.

Just remember: seatbelts off, windows open, and get out.