It can happen fast. One minute, you are driving, and the next minute you are in the water. You might be distracted by your phone, maybe you are tired, perhaps you swerve to avoid a deer, or maybe the roads are slippery.
When your car enters the water, you have approximately one minute to get out. People tend to panic when they realize that they are sinking, but when you panic, your odds for survival become lowered.
According to the findings of a research project presented at the Canadian Multidisciplinary Road Safety Conference in June 2006, approximately 400 North Americans die annually in submerged vehicles. The study also found that seven per cent of all drownings in Canada occur in vehicles each year.
Getting Help or Helping Yourself?
People often reach for their cell phones when they are in trouble, but a cell phone may not be able to save you when you are in a sinking car.
In 2009, three North Dakota college students drowned in their car after making several panicked calls to their friends. They were trying to get help, but no one got to them in time.
When you call 911, the operators can only tell you that help is on the way. It is up to you to save yourself.
Gordon Giesbrecht, a professor of Kinesiology at the University of Manitoba has studied what you should do if your car suddenly becomes submerged in water. Giesbrecht has also tested many controlled sinking scenarios.
All the vehicles used in his study floated before they sank. Vehicles tend to float anywhere between 30 seconds and two minutes before sinking.
Getting Out: Seatbelts, Children, Windows, Out
According to Giesbrecht, there are four words to remember when your vehicle is sinking: seatbelts, children, windows, out. First, undo your own seatbelt, and the seatbelts of any children in the vehicle. Open the driver's side window next, and then get out through the window, pushing any children out ahead of you. This method can increase your chances of survival to 50 per cent.
Giesbrecht disagrees with experts who suggest that you should wait for the car to fill up with water before you escape. When the water has reached the bottom of the window frame, the pressure makes it more difficult to open the window or door.
He also cautions against trying to breathe through a pocket of trapped air while waiting for the car to sink to the bottom. Opening the door guarantees that the car will fill with water, and sink quickly, greatly decreasing your chances of survival.
Giesbrecht recommends buying a RES-Q-ME tool, or a centre punch device which can be used to shatter windows, and cut seatbelts. He also suggests that you keep your RES-Q-ME tool in a place that is convenient, such as hanging from your rear-view mirror, so if you are faced with an emergency, you will not have to panic and search frantically for it.
Driving on Flooded Roads
Although it is impossible to guarantee that your car will not become submerged, a way to help prevent it from happening is to avoid driving on flooded roads.
Due to increased flooding in the province of Saskatchewan, MD Ambulance has provided tips for people in the even that their cars become submerged in water.
In addition to removing seatbelts and remaining calm, MD Ambulance encourages people to leave all valuables behind. They also encourage people to get out of the water as soon as possible due to hypothermia concerns.
St. Clair County police are warning residents to avoid driving over roadways that are covered in flood water. Last week, a woman in Mascoutah, Illinois drove her SUV on a road covered in water from a flooded creek. When her SUV became partially submerged, she used her cell phone to call for help for herself and her three children. Police say that she drove on the road despite the fact that it was closed.
Firefighters had to wade through three foot deep water for a quarter of a mile in order to reach the woman and her children. They were rescued with life jackets and the children were carried to safety, while the mother was able to wade through the water to safety on her own. The family was treated by paramedics on the scene, and were found to be fine.
Driving Safety Tips:
- pay attention to weather conditions and weather updates on the radio, television, or online
- pay attention to road closures
- do not drive on flooded roads
- tell someone where you are going
- know your location
- do not drive when you are tired
Sources:
- Bell, Kim. "Woman, 3 Children Rescued from Partially Submerged Vehicle in Mascoutah." Stltoday.com. 27 April, 2011.
- "How to Deal With a Submerged Vehicle in Flooded Water." Global Saskatoon. Global Saskatoon.com. 15 April, 2011.
- Kelly, Cathal. "How to Get Out of a Sinking Car: 'Seatbelts. Children. Windows. Out.' " The Star.com. 4 November, 2009.
- Rollason, Kevin. "No Time to Lose When Submerged: Professor." Winnipeg Free Press.com. 5 November, 2009.
- White, Patrick. "How to Escape a Sinking Car." The Globe and Mail.com. 8 August, 2010.
Annique Daniel - My name is Annique Daniel, and I recently graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a BA in Journalism and Human Rights. I have a ...
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