How to Survive a Car Crash in Water: Life-Saving Tips Every Driver Should Know

A car crash in water – it’s a chilling scenario. If you drove off a bridge or road into a deep lake or river, would you know how to get out of a car underwater? It’s harder than you think, it’s needed more often than you realize, and it’s not something you can figure out in the moment. To increase your odds of survival in an underwater car, you need to get a plan in place beforehand.

The following guide will lead you step-by-step on how you get out of a car underwater. Should you ever find yourself in this dire situation — it could save your life.

The Importance of Knowing How to Survive a Car Crash in Water

So, how do you get out of a car underwater? Most drivers don’t know and don’t care — they assume it will never happen.

But did you know that more than 11,000 car accidents occur each year, with the vehicle winding up in a body of water deep enough to sink? Tragically, this leads to nearly 400 drivers suffering drowning deaths annually. These accidents are so dangerous because panic, misinformation, and delay can be deadly. Many people instinctively reach for their phone to call 911 or try to open the car door, both of which waste valuable time. In reality, you have only a minute or two to act before the car becomes submerged.

Knowing what to do if your car goes underwater — and rehearsing the steps ahead of time — gives you the best possible chance of surviving such an accident. These life-saving tips are essential for anyone driving near lakes, rivers, the ocean, or flood zones and are particularly vital for those traveling with children or older passengers.

Tips for How to Escape a Car Underwater

If you experience a car crash in water, you’ll have little time to accomplish a great deal. But you do have a few precious minutes to work with. Just don’t waste them. Read these tips and think through how to escape a car underwater. Your mental rehearsal will be invaluable if you ever need these survival tips.

Tip 1 - Stay Calm

Easy to say but tough to do, staying calm is essential to how you get out of a car underwater. Research shows that a vehicle in water will stay afloat for just 30-120 seconds before sinking. This time is precious. You must think through your options and take life-saving action within just two minutes. Panicking is a waste of time, energy, and air. Stay calm.

Tip 2 - Skip 911

If you’re in a car underwater, you have very limited time to take the steps necessary to escape and save your life. Emergency services will not reach you in time. Don’t waste time calling 911. You must take action to save yourself.

Tip 3 - Roll Down All the Windows

Roll down your windows immediately. This is your best chance to escape a car sinking into water. Your electrical system is likely to remain functional for about a minute. Use that time to open the windows all the way. Yes, the water will come in faster, causing the car to sink more quickly. But that is your best avenue to escape.

Some advise waiting until the water rushing into the sinking car equalizes the water pressure inside and out. Then, they suggest trying to open the car door, which won’t open before the water comes in because of the extraordinary external water pressure. In just a couple of feet of water, the pressure against the door can reach 2,000 - 4,000 pounds of force! However, this strategy sacrifices most of the little time you have and forces you to wait until you have no more air to breathe before you act. So, most experts recommend opening the windows and escaping that way.

Manual windows are harder to open when the car is underwater. If you cannot roll the window down, look for something heavy and sharp to break the side window. Consider adding a seatbelt cutter/window-breaking tool to your car emergency kit. This tool is the best way to break a car window underwater. Otherwise, a tire iron or lug wrench may work. Do not attempt to break the windshield. It’s the strongest window in the car. Instead, focus on the side windows in the front of the vehicle.

Tip 4 - Remove Your Seatbelt

Once the windows are open, remove your seatbelt so you can move freely. If the seatbelt buckle jams, you’ll need to cut the harness. The cutter/window breaker tool is the ideal tool for the job.

Tip 5 - Assist Other Passengers

What to do if your car goes underwater requires a calm mind and quick, decisive actions taken in the proper sequence. Once you open the windows and remove your seatbelt, now is the time to help others. Unfasten their seatbelts and get them to exit through the nearest open window. A car sinking in water may turn on its side. Send passengers to the front window that remains highest above or in the water. Get children out first and bring them to your window to exit the car if necessary. Have them push off the car and swim well away from the vehicle.

Tip 6 - Deep Breath and Go

As soon as you reach this step, fill your lungs, climb through the window, and swim to safety. This will be harder if the car sinks in water far enough that water pours in through the window. But you can do it. Stay calm. Push off the car and swim to the surface.

Tip 7 - Visualize and Rehearse

It is to be fervently hoped you will never need to escape a car underwater. However, if you’re ever in this situation, you will have a great deal to do in the proper order in a very short period of time. Like a fire drill, visualizing and going over the necessary steps will serve you well in a crisis. Get the whole family involved in rehearsing what to do if your car goes underwater. Take your seatbelt cutter/window breaker tool to the local junkyard or Pick-a-Part and ask to practice on one of the junk cars.

Practicing how to get out of a car underwater is essential if you live in an area with many lakes, rivers, lagoons, or other waterways. However, extreme weather events and road trips can make knowing what to do if your car goes underwater invaluable to everyone, no matter where they live.

It should go without saying, but if your car is sinking in water, your life and the lives of any passengers are the only priority. Completely disregard your purse, laptop, phone, and other belongings. You can always replace your stuff, so leave it behind without a thought.

How to Equip Your Car for Water Emergencies

If you ever need to escape a car underwater, seconds matter — and the right tool can save your life. Pick up a seatbelt cutter and window breaker tool for your emergency kit. Store it within easy reach of the driver’s seat, not in the glove box.

These tools are designed to break the tempered glass used in side windows, not the laminated glass of the windshield. Choose a metal tool for increased strength and durability. One with a built-in glow-in-the-dark ring helps you spot it in the dark. Check the flashlight batteries in your car’s emergency kit, and add a whistle to call for help.

Be Prepared for the Unexpected

Any good, safe driver must be prepared to react to the unexpected. Now that you have learned how to get out of a car underwater — we hope you will never need to put your knowledge into practice.

Preparing to survive a catastrophe is often the best step you can take to avoid one. Make sure your auto coverage is up to date, too. Contact a helpful Wawanesa agent today to review your car insurance policy and check that you’re fully protected for all the curveballs life can throw at you.