Is it just me, or do you also sometimes wonder what you would do if (obviously, hopefully it won’t happen) your car fell into water? I know that many people are terrified of driving over bridges or through roads where your car could end up in the water with one wrong move. And the horrifying news about the Baltimore Key Bridge collapse definitely didn’t make us feel safer.
Luckily, this emergency room doctor recently shared her video explaining 4 main steps to follow that will make a difference in your and your family’s survival rate if your car falls into water.
More info: TikTok
Emergency situations may happen to anyone, thus it’s always important to know what steps to follow
ER doctor goes viral after sharing the most important steps to follow in case of vehicle submersion, people online are thanking her
“If your car falls into water, you have approximately one minute to get out safely”
“Here are the four steps that will make the difference in survival for you and your family. Dr. Darria here, board-certified ER doctor and when I take care of patients who survived vehicle submersions, it is because they knew what to do and did it immediately before they even had time for panic to set in. I want you to be able to do the same.”
When a car hits the water, it’s kind of like a leaky boat, it has about a minute as it starts to sink. Most cars tip forward, meaning that the second row windows stay above the water longer. That’s especially important if you have children in the car.”
“The four steps to remember are SWOC. Burn SWOC into your brain in the hopes that you will never need to use it”
“S – for seatbelts. Get everybody’s seat belts off.
W – immediately open the window you’re going to be using to exit. If you have kids in the car, you’ll probably want to use that second row window to buy you more time and because your kids are in the second row.
O – for everyone out of restraints and out of the car.
C – for oldest children first, taking that youngest one with you.
You can find the full video here
@therealdrdarria If you’ve ever driven over a bridge or past water and thought “what would i do if my car fell in”, then this post is for you. As an ER doctor, it’s my JOB to think of emergencies and how I’d respond – and my mission to help you do the same. Once your car hits the water, you have approximately ONE minute to get out. So, I talked with one of the leading experts in car submersion events, Gordon Giesbrecht (IG professorpopsicle), to find out EXACTLY what to do, to help save you and your family. “WHEN passengers had an appropriate response planned, exit could be accomplished quickly” Watch the video for the 4 steps. Plus,some myth-busting 1. Do NOT rely on glass-breakers. It takes precious time to FIND your glass-breaker, ANDd (2) many modern cars have side windows made with laminated glass (just like the windshield), and glass-breakers will NOT break that. 2. Electrical windows WILL open. The issue isn’t the electricity – it’s pressure. You just need to open the window before the water has reached ⅓ – ½ of the way up (ideally before the water has even risen to the window level). 3. Some popular guidance says to “wait until the car has flooded with water, then open the door”. Do NOT do this, unless as last resort. 4. Go out the window – don’t try to open the door. The water pressure could make it slam back on you, AND this makes the car fill with water MUCH faster. 5. DO NOT DELAY. Do not do ANYTHING else first but SWOC. 6. Why the oldest child first? Let out the ones who need the least help first, so you can have both arms on the youngest. 7. Never get out of the car before your child – if the car suddenly fills with water and you’re out of it, you’d have a very difficult time getting back to it. But if you’re both inside and you’re holding the child, you can still swim out. Repeat SWOC to yourself. Burn it on your brain, in hopes you’ll NEVER EVER need it, and share it with other mamas out there. Video credit of sinking car: Gordon Giesbrecht #carsafety #emergency #emergencypreparedness #emergencymedicine #doctor #erdoctor #doctorsoftiktok ♬ original sound – TheRealDrDarria
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