Interesting. Interesting. Thanks.

My earlier comments were based on my recollections from seeing videos of sinking cars - plus tests by people who tried to escape them.

The article referenced here is good. But it does not give enough detail about how they opened the windows. Did they roll them down with a mechanical door handle, or punch them out with a counterpunch?

One question I would have is this ... if you break an auto window with a counterpunch, does the whole thing just shatter? Or do you wind up with a partial break and jagged pieces still protruding. I wonder how easy this breaking maneuver really is - given that time is limited and you may need to break several windows?

Practically, I cannot imagine a whole family in a minivan going out through just one window. There would be too much fear and panic. You'd need to break at least one window in the front and back.

Bottom line - you've got to have that breaking tool immediately accessible. The article did get that part right.

Pete

Pete-

From bottom of article

"For total peace of mind, Giesbrecht recommends buying a centre-punch device, like a $10 RES-Q-ME tool, which can be used to shatter windows and cut seatbelts."

Good news report and demo on the tool HERE Ignore the newsmans price quote at the end...

Good job! That video answers the question perfectly. Looks like the window does shatter enough, that with just a little extra pushing you can clear all the glass away. That's good to know.

I need to get one or two of those devices in my wife's minivan. That vehicle does not have any handles for opening the windows. So if the power goes out and you can't open the doors ... there's only one alternative left.

Thanks!
Pete

I don't know how much stock each of you place on Mythbusters findings as an individual but in Episode 72 they did an "Underwater Car" myth.

Here is a brief rundown of what they found

Last winter a drunk drove into nearby Nassau Lake. He was very lucky to be rescued by a couple of volunteers.

http://www.lifesaving.com/spotlight/show_article.php?section=spot&id=624

When a car's side window breaks, it shatters into thousands of little rounded edge pieces. Had that happen when I was riding in the back seat at about age 7 and a dump truck backed into us. Glass sprayed everywhere but I was uninjured.

Now I'm wondering - could I get out of the side window of my car, wearing a winter coat? This will be a good thing to test. Even if I can't get out with the coat, I'll still wear the coat, I'm more likely to be trapped in a car on land than in water.

Or you could up the ante (just for fun mind you) and time yourself and see how long it takes to unstrap take the coat off and climb out your window with coat in hand.

"30 seconds to 2 minutes. guessing that is due to different interior capacites..."

Wouldn't differences in individuals also affect escape time? Such as: physical fitness, agility, build, training, ability to react quickly...

That was for float time of the vehicle, not escape time.

Oh, sorry.