The One Safety Device You Should Never Drive Without (and It’s Not a Seatbelt)

Did you know that it only takes 1 to 2 feet of water to ‘float’ a vehicle off its wheels? Would you know what to do to ensure you and your passengers escaped safely? What about in a deep water scenario where the vehicle has left the road and landed in water? Would you know how to get out before it sank under the water?

You’re probably running through the possible options: unroll the window, smash the window, open the door, wondering WHICH one is the right answer. Don’t dismay — you’re not the only one who had no idea what to do in this type of scenario. It wasn’t until I had to research roadside safety equipment for a newsletter client that I discovered what to do.

In the case of a flooded roadway, vehicles and their trapped occupants are washed downstream. Depending on the stream depth, the vehicle may roll to one side or flip over entirely, leaving a narrow window of time for escape. In a deep water scenario, experts say the ‘float’ time may be as little as 30 seconds or as long as 4 minutes depending on the condition of the window and door seals.

It’s a scary scenario that none of us wish to encounter, considering the fatality rate of these types of accidents is high. More than one-third of accidents involving a submerged vehicle results in death of the driver and/or passengers. The reason is that it’s extremely difficult to open the car door against the weight of the water as demonstrated by Adam Savage in this MythBusters episode, see clip below:

So what should you do if it ever happens to you?

Unbuckle your seatbelt (and the seatbelts of all your passengers), prepare to get out, and break the window AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, using a handy gadget like the Resqme Quick Car Escape Tool. The Resqme is both a seatbelt cutter and a spring-loaded glass breaker. All you have to do to use it is press it against the corner of your side window until the glass shatters.

Because we live on the coast and driving next to water is an almost daily occurrence, ours hangs from the rearview mirror from a coil keychain for easy access. The manufacturer recommends either placing it there or attaching to your car visor or keychain. Basically, wherever you know that you can get to it quickly in an emergency situation.

Hopefully this is a gadget that you buy and never have a chance to use! Drive safe!