Living in Australia, it’s not uncommon to be driving along the coast, on a cliff that has a large drop into the ocean.
So, have you ever wondered what on earth you would do if you accidentally drove your car off a cliff and plunged deep into a large body of water?
Well, you’re about to find out…
Sometimes in life, there are things you can never be overly prepared for. THIS is one.
It’s a beautiful summer’s day and you’re speeding along your local sea cliff, blasting the Red Hot Chilli Peppers: life’s great. Suddenly, you misjudge the sharpness of a bend. Your car has smashed right through the barrier and you’ve fallen metres below the cliff’s edge. You realise your submerged by water and your survival instincts have set in. Here’s what you do:
Knowing your car window’s pressure points and the difference between the tempered and untempered glass is what is going to save your life.
Go straight to the edges of your side windows. Although you’re submerged in water, these will be your best bet.
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT GO FOR THE MIDDLE OF ANY OF YOUR WINDOWS. It’s useless, being deep in a body of water can add up to 400kg of pressure against your car windows.
And if you think that the windscreen is the largest and therefore easiest escape route, think again. Windscreens are designed to splinter and crack on impact whereas your side windows are made to shatter. As long as you have a blunt object within arms reach in your car at all times, you can save your life. Blunt objects could include a screwdriver, hammer or a wrench. Anything hard enough to break through the glass.
Take the object and go to town on the corners as hard and as fast as you can. Remember, timing is crucial. The car will quickly and powerfully fill with water so you must take advantage of the pathway this creates to swim out of the car.
You must act as fast as you possibly can. The deeper your car sinks the heavier the pressure upon it will become, therefore making the window much harder to break.
Remaining calm is always the best course of action. Either that or just be careful driving on a cliffs edge – it’s probably a lot less complicated and time-consuming that way.