Steps


1
Brace yourself for impact. As soon as you're aware that you're going off the road and into a body of water, adopt a brace position. This is done by placing both hands on the steering wheel in the "nine and three" positions. The impact your car makes could set off the airbag system in your vehicle and any other brace position could cause serious injury in such an event. If your hands are located at "ten and two" position when the airbag inflated it could force your hands into your face resulting in serious injury. Remember, an airbag inflates rapidly, within 0.04 seconds upon being triggered.[3] Once this aspect is out of the way, prepare for the next step immediately.
Remain calm. Panic reduces energy, uses up precious air, and causes you to blank out. Repeat a mantra of what to do to get out (see next step) and stay focused on the situation at hand. Panic can be left for the shore when you reach it.

2
Undo your seat belt. Professor Dr Gordon Giesbrecht, who specializes in cold water immersion, says that the seatbelt is the first thing to attend to, yet it often gets forgotten in the panic.[4][5] His motto is: Seat belt; children; window; OUT (S-C-W-O).
Unbuckle the children, starting with the oldest first (who can then help the others).[6]
Forget the cell phone call. Your car isn't going to wait for you to make the call and sadly, people have lost their lives trying this.[7] Get busy getting out.
There is a counter-theory that suggests the seat belt should be left on. This theory suggests that if you release your seat belt, you may, due to underwater disorientation, end up moving away from the window or door opening due to the ingress of water through the opening. If you need to push the door open, being anchored by the seat belt might give you additional leverage, versus pushing the door while you're suspended in the water. [8] Having your seat belt on could also help you maintain your sense of orientation if the car flips upside-down. On the downside, having your seat belt on can also make it harder to get out quickly and to move out, which is the point of reacting quickly from the start and not waiting in the vehicle. In the video featuring Rick Mercer and Professor Giesbrecht below, they show clearly that it's important to be able to move around from the start, including if you need to move to the backseat to get out of the car as the engine-heavy front part starts tipping deeper first.[9]

3
Open the window as soon as you hit the water.[10] Following Professor Giesbrecht's recommendation, leave the door alone at this stage and concentrate on the window. A car's electrical system should work for up to three minutes in water. [11] (not that you have three minutes of course), so try the method of opening it electronically first. Many people don't think about the window as an escape option either because of panic, lack of using the window for exit normally, or because they're focused on lots of misinformation about doors and sinking.[12]
There are several reasons for not bothering with the door according to Professor Giesler. Immediately upon impact, you have only a few seconds in which opening the door of your sinking car is possible, while most of the door is still above water level. Once the car has started to sink, it is not humanly possible to open the door again until the pressure between the inside and the outside of the car has been equalized (leveled); this means that the car cabin has to be filled with water and that's not really a state you want to be in.[13][14] Moreover, Professor Geisbrecht says that by opening the door, you invite a quick sink in place of the floating time available to get out. In his experiments with 30 vehicles, he found that all vehicles float, anywhere between 30 seconds to 2 minutes. [15] You could be using this float time to escape rather than opening the driver's side door and giving the water 5 to 10 seconds to sink the car and drown everyone in the backseat.[16]
There are numerous theories that advocate staying in the car calmly until it hits the bottom, fills with water, and you open the door and swim up. Mythbusters termed this the "maximum conservation of energy" approach and it looks viable when you watch it. The trouble with this theory (tested only in a swimming pool of known depth with a rescue crew on full standby) is that most times you won't know the depth of the water into which your car has plummeted, so waiting this long will usually prove fatal. This method worked just over 30 percent of the time in Professor Giesbrecht's study, while his S-C-W-O approach worked over 50 percent of the time.[17]
The end of the car that contains the engine will usually sink fastest, often leaving the car at an angle where the heaviest part of the vehicle is lower than the lightest. As such, you may be able to open some doors while the car is still floating.

4
Break the window. If you aren't able to open the window, or it only opens halfway, you'll need to break it. You will need to use an object or your foot to break the window. You can also take your headrest off and use the metal inserts to break a window.[18] It may feel counter-intuitive to let water into the car, but the sooner it is open, the sooner you will be able to escape directly through the broken window.
If you have no tools or heavy objects to break the window with, use your feet. If you have high heels, these might work when placed at the center of the window. Otherwise, Professor Giesbrecht advises that you aim to kick near the front of the window or along the hinges (see the demonstration in the video below).[19] Be aware that it's very hard to break a window by kicking, so find these breakpoints. Don't even try the windshield; it's made to be unbreakable (safety glass) and even if you did manage to shatter it (unlikely in the time you have), the stickiness of safety glass can make it hard to get through.[20] Side and rear windows are the best options for escape.
If you have a heavy object, aim for the center of the window. A rock, hammer, steering wheel lock, umbrella, screwdriver, laptop, large camera, etc., might all serve as suitable battering objects. Even the keys might work if you're strong enough.
If you've already thought ahead, you might have a window breaking tool handy in the car. There are various tools available. Professor Giesbrecht recommends a "center punch",[21] which is a small tool that could be easily stowed in the driver's side door or on the dashboard, for fast retrieval. This power punch is usually spring-loaded and can also be found in a hammer shape. Failing that, you could also carry your own small hammer.

5
Escape through the broken window. Take a deep breath, and swim out through the broken window as soon as you've broken it. Water will be gushing into the car at this point, so expect this and use your strength to swim out and up. Professor Giesbrecht's experiments have shown that it is possible to get out through this torrent (contrary to some theories) and that it's better to go now than to wait.[22]
Look to children first. Heave them up toward the surface as best you can. If they cannot swim, see if you can give them something that floats to hold onto, with strict instructions not to let go. An adult may need to go with them immediately if there is nothing to hold onto.
As you exit the car, do not kick your feet until clear of the car - you could injure other passengers. Use your arms to propel you upward.
If the car is sinking quickly and you haven't gotten out yet, keep trying to get out of the window. If there is a child in the car, tell them to breathe normally until the water is up to their chest.

6
Escape when the car has equalized. If it has reached the dramatic stage where the car cabin has filled with water and it has equalized, you must move quickly and effectively to ensure your survival. It takes 60 to 120 seconds (1 to 2 minutes) for a car to fill up with water usually.[23] While there is still air in the car, take slow, deep breaths and focus on what you're doing. Unlock your door, either with the power button (if it is still working) or manually. If the doors are stuck (which they probably will be in most cases, with the pressure being massive), hopefully you've been busy breaking the window already, as advised in the previous steps.
Continue to breathe normally until the water is at chest level, then take a deep breath and hold your nose.
Stay calm. Keep your mouth closed to preserve breath and to prevent water from entering. Swim out through the broken window.
If exiting via an open door, place your hand on the door latch. If you are unable to see it, use a physical reference by stretching your hand from your hip and feeling along the door until you locate the latch.

7
Swim to the surface as quickly as possible. Push off the car and swim to the surface. If you don’t know which way to swim, look for light and swim toward it or follow any bubbles you see as they will be going up. Be aware of your surroundings as you swim and surface; you may have to deal with a strong current or obstacles such as rocks, concrete bridge supports, or even passing boats. If it's ice covered water, you'll need to head for the obvious hole created by the car's impact. Do your best to avoid injuring yourself on obstacles, and use branches, supports, and other items to cling to if you're injured or exhausted.

8
Seek medical attention as soon as possible. The adrenaline in your bloodstream after the escape may make you unable to detect any injuries you may have sustained in the accident. Hail passing motorists who can call for help on their phones and provide you with warmth, comfort, and a lift to nearest hospital.
Hypothermia may be a real possibility, depending on the water temperature, level of shock passengers and drivers are experiencing, and external temperature.

http://m.wikihow.com/Escape-from-a-Sinking-Car#

Good information

thank you and God bless. What if u are in a molue parked full or better still danfo?

It's not easy in the face of danger, I mean sinking, one might not be able to remember all these steps.

this will never gonna happen to me abeg.

wtfCode:
this will never gonna happen to me abeg.

But it do happen.

From live scenario, many people die as a result of shock before they even drown especially those that says it can never happen to me.
To avoid shock, hold the head rest or steering firm but with a slightly bent arm (to allow for tensile impact), then hold your breath briefly just before impact and release seconds after the first impact, if you are still conscious and composed after the first impact then there is 70% chance of survival
Then work on the exit, if you are in crowded car or bus, avoid the main exit,unless you are 90% sure that you can get out before the next person.

Tips to break glass
Most of the automobile glasses are harden but break easily from a small weak point. Therefore get a sharp object, draw a circle, then draw a cross (this time make the mark more pronounced) then if you can, step back (or lean back) and use your leg to break the glass.

Try to move away from the fuel tank as much as you can.

In the struggle, people may be raise their hands and try to stand aloof, you should first find a firm footing, use your hands to create some breathing space in front of you, then walk your way through their mid bodies. In case of pushed, try first to position your knees for landing before you use your hands to hold on to something.

All these requires 10 seconds of using your head.

So as a precaution, never ever wind up completely especially in a public transport. Also if you are cruising at more than a 100 on a highway, keep the back windows slightly open and you may consider using natural breeze instead of AC, when you get inside town, turn on your AC.

But I can't swim!

@oluwafemi thanks

How about those that can't swim. And again you know how it is once you under tension, all those rules is just not in your head, all you will remember is to get out as quick as possible, by any means.


Please is there anybody that stays in kano and can help with accommodation. Help a friend, want to visit but have no body there to accommodate me over the period i will be staying. Please help a friend. Tanks

The major challenge is swimming

nice info.... I am an Igbo girl I hate buhari

1: I don't have a Car
2: I don't know how to Swim.
3: I don't imagine finding myself in that situation.
In case I do, if I call Abubakar 3 times inside water , bro I'm gone. Ahhahaahah.
I knew swimming was not my calling when I almost died at Liberty Stadium in those days of Ibadan Boys' iSchool..

I can't swimm...

lol

I surely will read it later

Autosbay my man. Good job

what about dis type of car??

Plz how can I escape from a sinking nation? h

Splendid information. How do I practice this?

Most Nigerians don't know how to swim so fatality will be high.

Secondly instead of thinkink smart and trying to apply the methods listed here most of us will go into prayer mod

What bout those who cant swim Tragic


See how they are saying stay calm as if panic under this typa situation go funny....it is well jare

God help us all

Thanks for the tip

Accident is not my portion in Jesus name!!!