Rule 3. Don’t open the door! Roll down the windows instead. Opening the door is very difficult against the water pressure and it also allows so much water into the vehicle that it will speed up the sinking process.
You’ll have 30 seconds to a minute until the water rises to the bottom of the passenger windows. This is what Geisbrecht calls the floating period. After that, the water pressure will force the window against the doorframe, making it essentially impossible to roll down.
Caveat to Rule 3: Break that window. Since most vehicles these days have electronically controlled windows, the circuits probably will short before you have a chance to roll them down. In that case, you’ll need a tool to break the window open.
Two of the most popular are the
LifeHammer ($14.95), which has a hardened-steel point to help crack open the window, and the
ResQMe keychain ($9.95), which uses a spring-loaded mechanism to shatter glass. If you plan on practicing with either one of these, take it from personal experience and wear work gloves. Otherwise you will cut your hands. "Make sure these tools are within reach at all times, otherwise you'll never get to them in time," says Giebeck. "And they won't work underwater. Again, you've got act quickly."
How to Escape a Submerged Car - Popular Mechanics
