After severe storms, there is a state of emergency in Tyrol. Mura leaves and floods keep the emergency services busy. It is always clear that such weather conditions can also be dangerous for drivers. The vehicle enters the water masses, threatens to take off, the occupants are enclosed. The ÖAMTC tested how you can escape from this possible death trap and how much time is left.
Of course no storm is needed for such an extreme situation. An accident in which the car dives into a water can also end dramatically for steering and passengers.
“Although a car does not sink immediately, but there is still not much time: it is getting critical after the first minute,” explains ÖAMTC expert Robert Kolerovic. “Show our tests: on average it takes only three to four minutes for a vehicle to be completely under water – but it must be traded within the first minute to save itself. The vehicle must be left in the first minute after water contact. After that it becomes much more difficult.”
But in an emergency an emergency exit of a falling vehicle succeeds, and if so, how do you do that exactly? In a specially furnished test basin, various scenarios were played via both an electric vehicle and a combustion engine.
The tests showed that electric and combustion vehicles behave in the same way during the sinking- the model with a combustion engine was a stronger tilt. One of the most important findings: “Doors can hardly be opened shortly after the water is a short period of time in the beginning to open the side windows,” said the ÖAMTC expert. “In any case, this option must be used before the on -board electronics failed.”
Composite glass takes a huge danger
A special focus was on the vehicle pendulus, because many modern cars have laminated glass on the sides. “This is practically not destroyed, not even with tools,” says Kolerovic. Hardened safety glass windows could also not be broken into in the test with typical on -board equipment such as headrests, belt locks or car keys.
Only specially developed tools – such as hammers of emergency situations or spring grains with integrated belt cutters – could reliably break the windows, even under water. “These devices must therefore be part of the safety equipment of each vehicle, such as a warning triangle or a first aid set,” recommends the ÖAMTC expert.
Of course the knowledge of a car in the water is frightening. According to the ÖAMTC, it is all the more important to be prepared for such a scenario. Hence the advice: you familiarize the right behavior and discuss the right procedure with travelers – especially children.
But also forward -looking driving and accepting barriers in flooding situations is absolutely necessary, according to the traffic club – as well as flooded roads or under passages should not be used, according to the warning. “The greatest danger is to believe that nothing will happen or in an emergency situation, you can just open the door and get out,” warns the ÖAMTC expert. “But that is exactly what does not work in most cases.”
According to international surveys, dozens of people die every year because they could not leave their vehicle on time after water.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
