XPost: alt.home.repair   
   From: keith_nuttle@sbcglobal.net   
      
   On 12/25/2021 12:19 PM, Paul in Houston TX wrote:   
      
   > Seems to me it would be easier to undo the seat belt buckle, put the   
   > window down, and open the door.  Knowing how to swim would be helpful.   
      
   In some cases, you can't undo the seatbelt.   
   You can't open the door in almost all cases.   
   And once the water presses against the window, you can't open the window.   
      
   For example I've watched the videos (they abound on the net) where even the   
   safety diver in the back seat had to cut his seatbelt when the car flipped   
   upside down (seatbelts are apparently not designed to work when you're   
   pressing against them upside down).   
      
   I've watched muliple videos where they tested how soon you have to start to   
   open the car door, where it's essentially immediately upon hitting the   
   water. After that, it's a thousand pounds of pressure against the door,   
   which nobody can force no matter how strong you think you may be.   
      
   The only other time you can open the door is after the pressure equalizes,   
   which means the air is essentially long gone, and even then, if the water is   
   deep, you'll never make it to the surface alive.   
      
   Likewise with the windows. While the electrical system may remain (as long   
   as you leave the key in the ignition), there is a thousand pounds of   
   pressure against the window also.   
      
   The paradoxical thought process is that you have to open the window BEFORE   
   the water gets to that level, which is what most people do not want to do   
   (because they feel it will let in more water - which it will).   
      
   The standard recommendation is SWO   
   S = seatbelt   
   W = window   
   O = get out   
      
   Swimming is optional.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)