Yes, its hard. Will it ever happen -- not likely. You have to plan for the most likely situations, not the most fun or the scariest.

Damn, that is one ugggggly looking fish eyeballing the camera..... <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
What we have here is essentially a ditching scenario. I think that anyone who drives around/over water on a regular basis should think very seriously about stowing a pony (escape) bottle and a mask under the seat. Practicing opening the door before you hit the water/go through the barriers might be worthwhile as well. And yes, your going to have to be bloody quick about assessing the situation and deciding that you cannot avoid the water.

Storing compressed air tanks in vehicles is very problematic. First heat build up in cars can lead to o-ring failures. And in freezing weather regulators can ice over, most likly just causing free flow. I could really list a whole host of problems but I take 2 ferries to get to work every day and have about a dozen or so scuba cylinders and I wouldn't even consider storing a tank under my seat for very unlikey "what if scernario".

Adam

they did a segment on Top Gear too. It's been a while since I saw it but I thought the electrical system still worked for a little bit after being submerged.

> I think the first action suggested was to unbuckle your seat belt

As long as you are oriented. This may apply more to bigger vehicles that have turned upside down or are sinking nose-first or whatever. It can all become unfamiliar. You may need to actively figure out where you are and what route you are going to take out.

For example, I have a 3-door car. Someone in the back seat might need to escape through the front passenger windows. I think the STOP acronym applies. To get out fastest you need to be efficient, and to be efficient you need a plan. Especially if there are other passengers in the front seats.

Anyway, the point is, if you are strapped in your seat you know where you are. You can remember where other things are in relation to you, even if up is no longer up.

Easier than you might think.

Someone said that good judgment comes from experience -- which in turn comes from bad judgment.



Scenerio:
16 yrs. old, license <6 months, roadway 4ft. above a pond, 1962 Pontiac station wagon (with rusty (holed) floorboards).

I was able to unbuckle my seat belt, roll down my window& exit the vehicle. As I swam past the rear of the car, I realized it was still running, I was able to return to the front, reach in, turn off the car &retreive my keys. I then swam to shore (~ 100 ft.) & watch it sink. It takes longer for a car to sink than you would think.:o <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Prolouge:
We retrieved the car after ~4 hrs. We drained the crankcase & tranny & replaced the fluids. We salvaged 1/2 a tank of gas. The car ran for years ( a little musty on humid days).

"What does not kill me, makes me stronger!"

From Central Florida News 13:

http://cfn13.com/StoryHeadline.aspx?id=18686

Women Trapped In Car

Two elderly women are recovering from heat stroke and heat exhaustion after locking themselves in a hot car in Daytona Beach.

Police say their battery apparently died, the automatic locks failed, and they didn't know they could unlock the doors manually.

The women were trapped for nearly two hours before a passerby spotted their plea for help, which they wrote on the back of a tissue box.

Rescue workers smashed a window to get the ladies out.

I thought that getting trapped in cars like that was a curse of Polaks (me) and blondes (me). <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I drive a fair bit on frozen lakes during the winter months. Sometimes on ice bridges, sometimes to go ice fishing. I don't care how cold it is outside, I always keep my window completely open. If the truck goes though the ice, I want to be out ASAP to not get trapped under the ice wondering which side is up ! And I hate cold water ... <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> brrrrr