I hadn't really put a lot of thought into the "waiting on the vehicle to fill with water then opening the doors" situation. I spend 99% of my time in either my company van with the driver's window rolled down, or in my Jeep with a soft top.

In the shape the Jeep and its top are in, there's very little chance it would be airtight enough to keep the doors held shut for long if at all.

Plus the soft top means I have a pretty easy way out if I need it, just slice it open.

"in the event of a water landing - Pamela Anderson can be used as a flotation device"

Seriously though, new thinking. Solo drive, window down. Multi person drive, windows up to buy time. Wind in your hair is nice but windows up could buy more time for kids in the back seat.

I don't think windows up or down will make much of a difference for how long it takes for the car to sink... And you need to bang out or open at least one window anyway to get out. Let the windows up or down be dictated by personal comfort level and season... not dictated by a rather unlikely car submersion scenario.

Drowning cars does not happen too often.. Someone quoted statistics earlier in this thread - how many people are killed in regular (non-drowning) accidents? Divide those numbers and the ratio will help you put things in a perspective ... It makes sense to think through what you're going to do in such event and have a window smashing / seat belt cutter device at the ready, but unless your daily life puts you in location where car submersion is a likely accident scenario I wouldn't worry to much about windows up or down. That would be dictated by my personal comfort...


I would recommend to prepare mentaly and physically for what you're going to do in some scenarious (fire, car crash, car submersion and so on), but don't get to paranoid about it. My main focus in traffic is on driving safely and improving situation awareness (i.e. training my "accident avoidance radar").

Just a thought here. Make sure that window punch or life hammer is safely secured. You don't want it lying around loose and flying around the vehicle if it flips. Not only could yourself or a passenger be injured but the tool will be unavailable when the car comes to a halt.

I think the take-away from this thread is pretty simple.

* Make sure you've got the right escape tools in your car.
* Make sure everyone knows where they are and how to use them.
* You MUST initiate the escape procedures quickly after the car hits the water - and if you do then your chances of survival are good

Thanks for the discussion.
I DO need to make sure my own family puts this into practice.

Pete