[Guna]

Originally Posted by condor

Toughened glasses are designed to shatter into pieces on impact - not like normal glass which will break into long pieces. If hammer was the the right tool, then the other tools mentioned on this page itself wouldnt have been required.

True, they shatter, but they are quite tough to break in the first place. When I say hammer, I meant the hammer which has blunt head as well as sharp edge like this one. It should be a tool which has good weight IMHO

[RajeevSharma]

This is a terrible loss. May the family members find strength to deal with this loss!

First instinct should be to stay clear of the flooded area and never drive the car into a place where you can not see the road.
If we are trapped in a flooded area the one has to immediately give up the car and come out of it and run to higher grounds. The situation can fast go out of hand if we try to save the car also.
One must also carry a seat belt cutter and a window glass breaker in the car to be used in emergency situation.

[Slick]

Sorry for the loss, my condolences with his family. May they find the strength to cope with such a tragedy.

We can only guess what happened, and learn for our safety from such incidences.

I understand that the whole of that area was flooded so not sure if he even had an option of staying the night somewhere.


What I understand from such incidences , and that is the most important thing according to me,

We tend to get a false sense of security while in our vehicles. The situation goes out of hand very quickly. So the decision to dump the car should be always at the back of our minds while dealing with flooded areas, it should not be an afterthought.

- Slick

[silverado]

What were the factors which made him take that risk?
Was he away from family for long time?

And which car was he driving? SUV/MUV can give you a false sense of safety in such scenario's.

People dying inside cars stuck in floods was unheard of before 2005 Mumbai deluge, now most people are aware that this is a possibility.

[Maverick0986]

Originally Posted by sweetvar26

Hey guys, I wanted to mention this as I came across this thread.

The car was found today morning with him wearing his seat belt. Eye witness say he was trying to steer the car as it was drifting away and he also tried to open the back door. He is an extremely safe person, matured and he seems to be like someone who is prepared to act on situations like these but unfortunately it didn't work out this time.

My heartfelt condolences to the family. Can't really put in words what one feels when we get to know such news. May the family find the strength to cope from such a huge loss.

After reading through this, the only thoughts which rush to the mind is how careless we could be just to avoid some inconvenience or in haste take such decisions to save sometime, and it is only then we realize after paying such a cost.

With this incident coming into light and after going through all the comments, I only feel wise to avoid such areas, and reach to highlands.

Originally Posted by FarPatel

Which is why, in anticipation of being caught in just such a situation, I have this little gizmo dangling at the end of my car keychain. It is a combination seatbelt cutter and window glass breaker. Very handy, very effective, easy to use by anyone.

I guess this tool is really handy and all of us should have it within reach, just in case if you really have to use it.

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by FarPatel

Which is why, in anticipation of being caught in just such a situation, I have this little gizmo dangling at the end of my car keychain. It is a combination seatbelt cutter and window glass breaker. Very handy, very effective, easy to use by anyone.

It is called the Resqme tool. I have it hanging from the IRVM so that it is accessible for both driver and passenger.
People thinking a hammer or something will work on the car windows need to do some reading about this on the web. Specialized glass breaker tools are mede for reason. The idea is to make it easy and doable by anyone without requiring brute force.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by SideView

Condolences to his family.

Were the windows open of the car? And the exhaust of car submerged?
It could be due to CO (carbon monoxide) poisoning and he fell unconscious .

——
After CO exposure how long do the effects last?

When people lose consciousness due to carbon monoxide poisoning, they will typically have relapses for several weeks. They will suffer from headache, fatigue, loss of memory, difficulty in thinking clearly, irrational behavior, and irritability. Recover can be slow and frustrating. Some individuals suffer permanent brain and organ damage. Victims may be highly sensitive to CO for the rest of their lives

——-

Source:https://www.abe.iastate.edu/extensio...fects-aen-166/

We can't rule out this possibility. Imagine a situation where he stopped the car in water which is say about 1 to 1.5 feet high, to take a decision whether to go back or proceed. CO can enter the cabin via Air conditioner, since there is a very high possibility of exhaust gases filling up the under body of the car and eventually making its way to the engine bay area.

Remember the case of 4 young IT guys who slept to their death sitting in a Santro, while it was parked on the road with some water logging during Chennai floods years ago. Exhaust gases entered the cabin via AC and they all slept off and eventually died.

In this case, he may not have fallen asleep but CO might have affected his ability to think and take rational decisions. During that time, the water level / flow might have increased drastically.

[amods]

Sad incident.

I have this rule for myself -

1. While on an unfamiliar road, don't venture into water.

2. I don't test the depth by myself, if vehicles ahead which are similar to mine are wading easily, then follow them with weight on gas pedal and clutch - don't let the engine die in middle.

3. If the water feels more than or around a feet deep - it will most definitely turn my car into a boat - stay away.

[Shashwat B]

My condolences to the family.

Coming to the issue being discussed. The head rest of each car, it has a small level or knob or clip that you push to adjust the height to the headrest.

Push it, and remove the head rest. The two rods that slide into the seat, can be used to break window glass. I speak from experience. ( I shall discuss that in my owner's review later)

I had a so called glass breaking emergency tool. Unfortunately, It didn't work. Maybe it was a faulty one, I had never tested it though.

[Shashwat B]

With regard to the seat belt getting locked -

The seat belt, if jammed, will refuse to release no matter how much tug of war you play with it.

Now, your best bet will be to hit the seat belt box ( where the seat belt clips when engaged) In the mini accident my friend and I were in, the seat belt got jammed.

I used the car keys to hit and break the red part of the seat belt case. Luckily, it worked and the belt came off.

[streetfighter]

Sad news, RIP the departed soul !

3 weeks back I was caught in the Mumbai deluge. I stay close to my office (less than 1km) and it was raining very heavy. Due to some work at office, I left office at 10:30pm. My office is near Hiranandani Powai and situated on a small hill. As I departed from office, almost 6 inches water was flowing down the slopes after the office exit. Once I reached the plain, the roads were flowing like rivers. There are 3 parallel roads to reach my home, I take the first one on normal days. The second is one way, so I can't take it while returning home. The third road is at the lowest point. On that night, I couldn't take the first road, as I saw a few cars stranded midway and I'd be stuck too. I decided to take the third road but the amount of flow scared me as well as an auto rickshaw in front of me who decided to return back. I had to decide soon and decided to move ahead as I know the roads very well, they were in decent shape and concretised. I switched the AC off, unlocked door lock, unbuckled seat belt, slotted in 1st gear, saw that the road ahead was empty and waded past. But in hindsight, I feel I shouldn't have taken the risk.

The point I'm making is, we all feel a little overconfident at times, feel cocooned in the car and have the false sense of security. Someone has posted that he carries a handy tool in his keychain... I feel that's another recipe for disaster as you'd have to remove the key in emergency cutting off engine and electrical of the car. Staying away and keeping safe distance from any danger is the key, life is precious, live safe, drive safe !!

[Thad E Ginathom]

There is a very good rule that says get out and walk through the water, only then come back and drive through it.

But if the water is flowing, as when a river comes over a road, then even that might not be good enough. I recall a chilling video of a biker trying to ride over a submerged road. It did not seem at all deep, but he was swept away, and must have drowned.

[honeybee]

https://youtu.be/Nmo-xXUlmvs

Above video shows a mechanic trying to break open the driver side glass with a hammer. Plenty of space to swing. Results are for everyone to see.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Above video shows a mechanic trying to break open the driver side glass with a hammer.

This is why the glass-breaking safety tools have a sharp point.

(although he seems to be using a mallet, or a dead-blow hammer --- not ideal)

[VaidhiR]

If in case your seatbelt buckle is jammed (Very very rare though), then your headrest rod will come in handy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgd6G68M4bc

Edit: Just realised it was posted earlier.