Dystopian Discourse

Remember what I’m saying and it may save your life one day.

He couldn’t open the door because the pressure of the water was keeping it closed. Hundreds of pounds, don’t think it’s just because he’s weak. This pressure doesn’t work to keep the windows closed though, so if you ever crash into a body of water, roll the windows down. If they are manual you’re good, but if they are electric, do it as soon as possible because they could quickly short out.

Also if possible, do it from the back. Most cars, especially front wheel drive are much heavier over the front, so cars will almost always sink front end first. To be honest he probably could’ve hopped in the backseat and opened one of the rear doors as it nosed down… anyways, doors being unable to open is also why they have a glass breaker on those emergency seatbelt cutting doohickeys, so if you can’t roll the windows down, and you have one, a breaker will work. I would try rolling the window down first, I don’t necessarily want to crawl through a broken window, or have of hundreds of gallons of water smash a broken glass window into my face.

Also I recommend attempting to exit from the back windows if possible, as rolling the front window down will allow more rapid water ingress, decreasing the amount of time it takes for the vehicle to sink. if you need to assist someone else like a child getting out of the car, seconds matter.

If all else fails, hop in the backseat and breathe real deeply as the water fills the vehicle, stay calm, and prepare; once the inside is filled with water it equalizes the pressure differential and any door should open relatively easily, that’s when you use the o2 in your bloodstream to make your escape. If you struggle to hold your breath and have a strong gasp reflex, hyperventilate as the water rises, this will abnormally lower the CO2 in your system, increasing the amount of time after holding your breath before you feel the need to breathe. Don’t go crazy though and get your heart rate highly elevated, that won’t do you any favors.

Most healthy people can go 1 minute without breathing perfectly fine *if they don’t freak out*, longest I’ve done is 4:28 but that’s short compared to the pros.

Spread the word.

P.ϟ.
Since I’m being a dad and talking about safety stuff I learned when I first started driving: if you are waiting to make a left at an intersection, don’t wait with your wheels turned ready to make the turn; if someone rear ends you, you get sent into oncoming traffic. Wait until the coast is clear and you are ready to go before turning the wheels.

ϟkål