Yesterday, we came back from school with my son and he asked me an interesting question: “Can we get stuck in a car?»
Big question, especially when you know that a car can flow entirely in less than 60 seconds or that a cabin can reach 45 ° C in just 30 minutes when it is barely 26 ° C outside. Or that touching your car simultaneously and the floor when an electric cable has fallen on it, you can instantly grill you like a sausage & mldr;
Besides, a few months ago, 4 people died, stuck in a Tesla on fire because from what I understood, the electronic command of the doors was HS and the occupants of the car did not know that the doors could still open manually.
So, yes, we can be stuck in a car, which can also become in a few seconds a deadly trap whose outcome will only depend on your preparation and your technical knowledge.
So let’s start with the essentials:
If you had to remember only one thing from this article, it would be to invest immediately in a small gadget that can literally save your life. A HARTEBOOD BRISE / CUTTER CUT (affiliate) will probably be the investment with the best price / life ratio saved in the history of the automobile.
For about 10 balls, you have a tool that can get you out of the most critical situations. On the other hand, be careful not to put it in the glove box. Instead, fix it at hand, either on the amount of your door or under your seat like that, the day you need it, you will be happy to be able to catch it immediately.
If all your doors refuse to open, do not forget that many vehicles also have a rescue by the trunk. On many recent models, a emergency lever (often fluorescent, behind a cache) allows you to open the interior trunk. Take a look at the manual of your car to find out if you have this option and where this order is.
Now let’s take the most creepy scenario: The car falling into the water.
Contrary to what your instinct will dictate you, do not try to immediately open the door because the pressure of the water will prevent you and worse, if you succeed, the water would rush suddenly, accelerating submersion.
Therefore breathe deeply and follow this sequence that professionals call Swo (Seatbelt, Window, Out): Detach your belt first (much forget it under the effect of panic), then lower the electric window if it still works (they often work under water), or break a side window with your emergency hammer.
To do this, aim for a corner and not the center, because this is where the most fragile point is. Above all, do not waste your time and your energy to try to break the windshield because it is made of laminated glass (with a layer of plastic) designed specifically to withstand the impacts. The side windows, on the other hand, are made of tempered glass which breaks more easily.
And if you do not have a hammer, you can remove the headrest from your seat and use its metal rods to lever on the edge of the glass and explode it. And if really nothing works, as a last resort, wait until the car is filled with water and as the internal pressure will be equal to the external pressure, the door should open more easily.
Once the opening is created, bring out the children or the vulnerable people first, then go out by propeling with your legs.
Now, if your car is on the roof or on the side after an accident, stay calm and redirect yourself. In a overturned car, use the door or window from above to prevent your body weight from complicating your task. And this is where your Bise-Vitre hammer will become really precious!
Another nightmarish scenario, the fire.
Be vigilant on the warning signs like a burned smell, unusual smoke coming out of the hood or bizarre noises. If you see smoke coming out of your hood, stop immediately, cut the ignition, but leave the keys to the contact (this will avoid locking the steering wheel and will allow help to move the vehicle if necessary), and make everyone out. Log at least 30 meters away because smoke kills before the flames, and also because the risks of explosion, although extremely rare, exist.
If you have A powder fire extinguisher (another smart investment of around € 20) (affiliate) and that the fire is still tiny, you can try to turn it off, but never completely open the hood because the air call would transform your engine into an instant barbecue. Harge it just enough to direct the fire extinguisher towards the base of the flames, then back up if the fire persists after a few seconds. It is better to leave your car to be bare than to risk being injured.
Now let’s talk about electricity. If a high voltage cable falls on your vehicle after a storm (which is more common than you think), the golden rule is to stay in your car !! This acts like a Faraday cage that protects you as long as you stay inside without touching the metal body. Call help and wait for their intervention.
Now if you were absolutely going out (because of a simultaneous fire, for example), you will have to execute the famous “frog jumping”. For this, open the door, place your two feet attached on the threshold, then jump as far as possible while keeping your feet glued. Then, keep you away in small leaps with attached feet, without ever spreading your feet. This technique seems ridiculous but it prevents creating a potential difference between your two feet which would transform your body into a driver.
And what about ultra-connected modern cars?
Well yes, because the more high-tech your vehicle, the more you need to know its emergency systems. I gave you the trick at the start of the article to open the door of a Tesla, but should know that on some high -end BMW, a mechanical opening handle is also hidden under the armrest. Each manufacturer has its own solution, and unfortunately, the paradox of modern security, it is that the more sophisticated the vehicle, the more you need to find out about its emergency mechanisms. So remember to read the user manual you have never opened because it contains this crucial information.
For families, it is also essential to even inform children. Just explain them how to detach their belt, where the emergency hammer is, and how to react in an emergency. A small practical exercise when stopping can transform a moment of panic into a saving reflex, but beware of what they do not fart the window during training ^^.
Here, so your auto survival kit should contain at least:
- A Window / Cutting Hammer / Cutting
- A waterproof torch lamp (because being in the dark underwater is twice as scary)
- A survival blanket (which is used as much for hypothermia as to protect your skin from glass shards)
- Ideally a small extinguisher classified ABC.
- Thick gloves (to handle a hot cover or protect yourself from glass shards)
- and a signaling triangle (to be placed at least 30 meters from your vehicle in the event of an emergency stop)
In total, there will be about € 100 for a little €. Cheap to save several lives. There you go, so don’t forget to take a little interest in all of this and read the user manual of your cash register, because, the thing with safety is that you think that when it is too late and I find it a shame!
And the difference between a drama and an anecdote that will be told later around a beer, often is due to a small technical knowledge or a small gadget which costs less than a full & mldr;.
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