Your car falls in a river. What would you do?

[Flaight]

A fairly random question, but something I've wondered for a long time.

If you are driving a car (or if you're a passenger) and fall in a river/sea, what's the best course of action? I remember reading somewhere that you will be beaten by the strength of the door and you usually fail to get out in time and drown.

So, what would you do to increase the chance of getting to the surface? :confused:

[Jordan]

Usually when a car goes into the water at a good angle so it doesn't flip off the best course of action is to get out of your seat and find the pocket of air thats at the back of the car near the rear window.

Only downside is this wouldn't last for long as the car will quickly sink. The heavier it is, the more fucked you are.

The Jordan way is to buy a convertable! Then you'll never have any problems.

[Fierce_LiNk]

If you travel by Bicycle, you won't have this problem.


I'd end up drowning, i know it. There's no way i'd be smart in a moment of crisis like that.

[Flaight]

lol fair enough.

But seriously. If you are in an average car (not a bicycle or a convertible), and you fall in a river, at some point you would have to get out. I can think of:

1) opening the door
2) opening the window

to make way. But, I can also imagine water rushing in when I do that. Water is "heavy" in this sort of situation, so I wonder how hard it would be to force the door open. If it happened to me today (with my little knowledge on the matter), I would:

1) Open the door a bit.
2) See the water flood in.
3) Find the door near impossible to open.
4) Might just wedge myself in and eventually get out, while I can hold my breath or
5) drown trying.

The question is, is that the best I could have done?

[Shino]

I would punch my way out through the front glass.

It depends a lot of how the car is falling, you have to take advantage of that so it would be easier to open the door. Lets say the car is drowning, you open the back windows a bit so it would fall in its rear and than try open the doors with the water flowing up so it would be easier.

Of course this is impossible to think or react at that moment.

[Eenuh]

Doors would be almost impossible to open when your car is underwater cause of the force of the water. You'd drown before you even have the door opened enough to get yourself through it.
You have to find a way out through the window. Open it (breaking it might be difficult, again because of the force of the water) and escape through it.

You can actually go and "practice" on this. At least here I know they do that kind of stuff. They'll teach you what to do, then put you in a car that they'll drop in a pool, and then you have to get out off the car (divers are usually nearby in case something goes wrong). Might be something you could check into or something.

[fatnickc]

I would try to smash the window to escape. In newer cars, however, the lass is heavily reinforced, and near impossible to break.

[AshMat]

Id smash the rear window

[Tyson]

I guess you could keep a window open at all times. Especialy if you have electric windows, as I don't know if they'd work underwater.

[Marshmellow]

i would wank for one last time...

[Patch]

I always thought the best thing to do is this:

1. Wind a window down to let the water in.
2. Move to the part of the car that has the most air.
3. Wait for the water to completely fill the inside of the car and hold your breath.
4. Open a door and swim to the surface.

I'm sure I saw this in a film. One of the Bond films maybe. It's pointless to try opening a door until the car is filled with water because of the water pressure. Once the car is filled, it should be easy to open.

[Shyguy]

i would drive along the bottom of the lake/pool/whatever untill i find an air bubble like the ones you find on sonic ^_^

[BeerMonkey]

i ave a convertible so can just go up hehe :P

if in mates car im fuked

[Ollie]

I'm sure I saw this in a film. One of the Bond films maybe. It's pointless to try opening a door until the car is filled with water because of the water pressure. Once the car is filled, it should be easy to open.

I was going to say the same thing! My car has electric windows so I dobut I could open them underwater, however, I would wait for the pressure to equalize and then open the door and swim to the top!

i would drive along the bottom of the lake/pool/whatever untill i find an air bubble like the ones you find on sonic ^_^

Actaully, this sounds like the best idea yet, if you get stuck underwater in a car, do this! :)

i ave a convertible so can just go up hehe :P


Note to all convertible drivers - carry a sharp object in the car incase of emergecy escape, you can just cut the roof open!

[Dan Dare]

I'd guess at breaking the glass, but how hard is that? I might ask my brother. he does car design.

[mario114]

I would start crying/praying, then try and smash/open the nearest window/door.

[EEVILMURRAY]

Assrape the sunroof.

[MunKy]

Kick the windscreen through. Ive heard they are easier to break from the inside than outside. Then gather whatever CDs you can and go to surface.

[Zakatu]

The water pressure on the door would be too much to open it.

What you could do is try and open the windows (assuming they stil worked (electric windows!?) Once the pressure is equalised (car full of water) then the pressure on the door would be same inside and out and you would have a much better chance of opening it. But it would still probably be difficult.

If you have a sunroof, opening that would be a good bet. Water would pour in, so you would have to hold your breath untill the car was full, and then swim through it.

After you crash the car, the quicker you tried to get out the better your chances. The car would inititially float and your best chance is probably whilst its still on the surface.

EDIT: This website is usefull http://www.worstcasescenarios.com/scenario.htm?scenarioid=3&cache=1150374984

[Ice9]

Actually Top Gear tested it by dropping cars into a swimming pool, and its better to get the door open as soon as you can. And you can for a while before the pressure actually is too much.

[Fields]

I think the simplest soution is to just not drive your car into a river.

[mcj metroid]

i would wank for one last time...
i second that

[Blue_Ninja0]

I think a good ideia would be opening the window. Electric ones would probably not work because the electrical system would be all messed up. I think the water pressure can prevent you from opening the door, but not from opening a window. Then you could swim through the window, or open the door.

[Dieter]

Kick the windscreen through. Ive heard they are easier to break from the inside than outside. Then gather whatever CDs you can and go to surface.

That made me smile :yay: .


You capitalist pig.

[Charlie]

You wouldn't have to do anything at all.

James Heller from 24 survived for 20 minutes under water in his car.

I would hold my breath.\ open the window, let the car fill up then swim out.

[Meik]

I'd probably drown.

[Pestneb]

open the window asap, and get out through that. that (afaik) is the best option. if you are on your own.
if there are others, I'm not sure its as good an idea, as if someone panicks and can't get their belt off, chances are they'll drown, and you'd feel a bit bad after that (assuming everyone in the car was in some way or another close to you...

I think failing the window option is to wait until a door is completely under water, open said door and get out asap

[The Bard]

Why would your car fall in a lake unless you're a rampant jackass?

[DiemetriX]

Press the AquaCar Button. Then drive to the beach and pickup som hot girls.

[The fish]

I think the simplest soution is to just not drive your car into a river.

That sounds about right...:yay:

[Stefkov]

id hit myself with a hammer a few times to then realise that i have a hammer and smash the window. first id wait for the car to fill up with water, cos if i smash it early then the water would push me in.
if for some reason i dont have a hammer my second option would be to preted im a fish and see if i would be accepted ino a colony of fish, so then when i die of lack of oxygen i know someone at least loved me and will miss me when i die.

[Gaijin von Snikbah]

Hold hands and sing cumbaya.

[BeerMonkey]

turn off the radio. ;)

[mariosmentor]

I'd ask tom tom. Then tom tom would say "Tom tom not designed for off road shenanigans. What are you doing you crazy fucker I said left."
To which I would have probably beat him to death...I hate you tom tom.

[Dieter]

I'd ask tom tom. Then tom tom would say "Tom tom not designed for off road shenanigans. What are you doing you crazy fucker I said left."
To which I would have probably beat him to death...I hate you tom tom.

I don't know you but I like you :awesome:

Imagined that robot-y GPS voice telling me off :grin:

[Marshmellow]

Why would your car fall in a lake unless you're a rampant jackass?

or just really drunk

[CVD]

Make sure my iPod is ok.

[Platty]

I would do one of 2 things...

Wind down the window, let the water rush in and then simply swim out of the car to freedom.

or

Open the sun roof and let the water rush in and then simply swim out of the car to freedom.

It sounds pretty easy and simple to me...why are lot going on about smashing windows and trying to open doors when you will still be able to wind down the windows unless your car has electric windows of course...then you're pretty much dead.

[Blackfox]

Get wet. .

[demonmike04]

Blame Sony.

[Pestneb]

I would do one of 2 things...

Wind down the window, let the water rush in and then simply swim out of the car to freedom.

or

Open the sun roof and let the water rush in and then simply swim out of the car to freedom.

It sounds pretty easy and simple to me...why are lot going on about smashing windows and trying to open doors when you will still be able to wind down the windows unless your car has electric windows of course...then you're pretty much dead.


if you have a sun roof, and its big enough and you are quick, you could open it and get out before water starts gushing in.
but yeah, smashing glass when it has the force of water pushing it in towards you = very stupid.

[Shodan]

Open window, let water rush in, make pressure equal, open door, LIVE!

[The fish]

Blame Sony.

QFT :awesome:

[Bowser57]

Shoot the hostage.

[Konfucius]

At first I'd panic and try to open the door. If it works, nice.
If it doesn't I'll open a window and pray while the car is flooding. Then I'll open the door and swim to the surface.

But if I do it the traditional way I'd have abandoned (=jumped out of) the vehicle before it actually crashed/dropped into the water. But so far I only tried this with two-wheeled vehicles.

[The3rdChildren]

Have a wank, so someone would find the semen floating around with my corpse. Or if I'd had a wank earlier, I'd shit myself. Same effect.

[Marshmellow]

I'd shit myself. Same effect.

you have that power?! lol :bowdown: