Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

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gizmo
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Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by gizmo »

I need to mount an emergency window breaker somewhere in my car so that:

1) I can easily reach it while buckled into the seat
2) It will remain stationary despite of crash intensity
3) It will not deter from the look of the car, or diminish its resale value (sadly overriding safety)

Where should I do this and how?


P.S. Does anyone know if these tools serve a purpose. I know it will break that window, but will I be able to escape while the car is in the process of sinking? (I think, from a physical standpoint, the displaced water would prevent escape until it reverts to equilibrium)
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by Tups »

gizmo wrote:...but will I be able to escape while the car is in the process of sinking? (I think, from a physical standpoint, the displaced water would prevent escape until it reverts to equilibrium)
As far as I've been told, the safest way to escape a car underwater is to wait it to settle to the bottom and fill up with water, and then open the door and swim out. If you're not falling from a ferry or something like that, the water is rarely deeper than ten meters or so, which is perfectly survivable for a normal person. If you broke the window with the hammer, the thrust of water would probably crush your bones even in a relatively shallow water and the shards of glass from the broken window thrown against you would cut you up and attract sharks.
paul34 wrote:...especially if you're in a nanny state that freaks out over regular people carrying everyday tools like knives, which would otherwise serve that purpose quite nicely...
One of the great innovations in seatbelt cutters is that because of the "concealed" blade you can easily cut yourself or someone else free even after rolling the car without danger of accidentally stabbing or cutting anyone.

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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by theholycow »

That seatbelt cutter looks an awful lot like the best kind of envelope opener...

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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by Tups »

theholycow wrote:That seatbelt cutter looks an awful lot like the best kind of envelope opener...
Yeah. It's not cool. Let's just use chainsaws and katanas to free ourselves and our loved ones from the seatbelts (of life?).

;)
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by theholycow »

Silly person, you can't use a motorcycle to cut a seatbelt.

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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by fa22raptorf22 »

Tups wrote:
gizmo wrote:...but will I be able to escape while the car is in the process of sinking? (I think, from a physical standpoint, the displaced water would prevent escape until it reverts to equilibrium)
As far as I've been told, the safest way to escape a car underwater is to wait it to settle to the bottom and fill up with water, and then open the door and swim out. If you're not falling from a ferry or something like that, the water is rarely deeper than ten meters or so, which is perfectly survivable for a normal person. If you broke the window with the hammer, the thrust of water would probably crush your bones even in a relatively shallow water and the shards of glass from the broken window thrown against you would cut you up and attract sharks.
This principle is correct and indeed works...but not quick enough for you to survive.

Its been tested and the time for equilibrium to be reached is far too long and you drown before it happens.

Unless the water you are in is pool depth like when the mythbusters tested it, it may work, but in otherwise deeper water.... you are epically screwed.


It has been found that as soon as you hit the water you want to bust the heck out of there.

Hammer, window, door, anything. Get the heck out asap.
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by Tups »

The problem with "hammer, window, anything" is that if you break a window underwater and somehow survive the blast of water I mentioned in my post, the car will just fill up with water faster and you'll have less time to react. Sure, you might be able to escape the car before it hits the bottom, but escaping through a broken window is not easy, so I'm pretty sure you're more likely to drown if you try that instead of my method. You'll also have more time to free yourself from the seatbelts and make sure everyone else in the car is ready to gtfo.

Of course my way might not work if the car is upside down and the air pocket which allows you to stay alive is in the footwell, but if you're sinking upright and your car is leaking from several dozen small holes left by poor workmanship in the factory instead of one major gap (the broken window), it's less likely to capsize and pin the driver's door against the bottom (with you halfway through the window, trying to escape).

As for the water depth, except if you drive off a bridge, fall off a ferry or through ice it's quite unlikely you'll find a place where you can easily drive your car to water that's deeper than ten meters, from which even an inexperienced person can swim to the surface.
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by theholycow »

Tups wrote:As for the water depth, except if you drive off a bridge, fall off a ferry or through ice it's quite unlikely you'll find a place where you can easily drive your car to water that's deeper than ten meters
More like 2 meters...unless you drive off a bridge/ferry/through ice you probably don't need the hammer at all. If it's deep enough to need the hammer, it's probably best to GTFO ASAP rather than waiting patiently while the world closes in on you.
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by wannabe »

30 feet = 10 meters, right?

i doubt i could shoot up thru 30 feet of water ... esp if there is limited air in the car....
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by mad_finn »



Do I need to say more :)
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by theholycow »

Thanks but no thanks. If that's how it works in a few meters of controlled aquarium then if it ever happens to me I'll just obey my panic, shatter the glass, and GTFO ASAP.
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by mad_finn »

I was guite sure that you would say that 8)
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by fa22raptorf22 »

Of course you could open a car door underwater.

This is because water has already encompassed the outside, so after the inside is completely filled, moving the door is like moving your body underwater.

It works because the solid object displaces the water, and wherever it moves, the water follows.

You have swam underwater right?
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by theholycow »

If your car is full enough with water to equalize the pressure, what are you breathing in the meantime?

Edit: Wait...even if you want to open the door to exit, it makes sense to open or break the window, which will take away all the waiting for the pressure to equalize.
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Re: Mounting: Emergency Window Breaker

Post by Tups »

Yeah, the water outside the car is pressing the door against its frames, so it's nearly impossible to open it until the pressure difference over the door is close to zero, i.e. the car is filled up with water. However, until then there's an air pocket that allows you to breathe and carefully plan your escape from the metallic coffin, so there's really no need to break a window, possibly get seriously injured when the water rushes in and risk capsizing the car. Except if you're driving a POS Vauxhall. Then GTFO ASAP ;)

To be honest, I don't really know what to say after watching the Top Gear clip. Sure, the newer cars are probably better built so they'll fill up slower, but the pressure difference would make it pretty hard to open the door even if the car was full of water, and it'd take time for the water pressure to equalize on both sides of the door. Maybe after there's no longer air in the cabin it would be a good time to open or break the window, but as long as there's water on the other side and air on the other, I'll stick with my advice of not breaking it with a hammer. If the car has sunk deep enough and the glass is suddently removed (broken), the rush of water could cause serious injury, such as broken bones, that would prevent you from escaping the car and you would quite certainly drown. We all know that a small pinhole in the pressure vessel of a deep-sea submersile will cause a laser-like water stream that'll cut flesh and bones. It's of course not that bad, but depending on the situation can be too bad to cope with. Of course you could also open the window while the car is still above the water, but then you would be better off if you opened all electric windows to prevent the car from capsizing.

If there's other people in the car, make sure that they have at least freed themselves from the seatbelts and know what you're about to do before you open or break anything. Of course, if you're those "every man for himself" type of guys, don't mind the others.
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