Authors: Giesbrecht, Gordon G.; McDonald, Gerren K.

Source: Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, Volume 81, Number 8, August 2010 , pp. 779-784(6)

Publisher: Aerospace Medical Association

Abstract:

Giesbrecht GG, Mcdonald GK. My car is sinking: automobile submersion, lessons in vehicle escape. Aviat Space Environ Med 2010; 81:779-84.

Introduction: In North America ~400 individuals per year die in submersed vehicles, accounting for 5-11% of all drownings. About half of people surveyed would let the vehicle fill with water before attempting exit. Methods: We used a crane and two passenger vehicles of the same make, model, and year—one with passenger compartment intact (I) and one with holes (H) in the floor (area~2200 cm²)—to conduct occupied and unoccupied submersions. Results: Three phases of submersion were identified: 1) FLOATING, vehicles floated for 15 s (H) to 63 s (I) before the water reached the bottom of the side windows; 2) SINKING, the subsequent period until the vehicle is completely under water, but before it fills completely; and 3) SUBMERGED, the vehicle was full of water and several feet below the surface. Total time to submersion was 150 s for I but only 37 s for H. Opening the door to exit Vehicle I decreased submersion time from 150 to 30 s. Even the most difficult exit strategy attempted (three men and a child manikin through one window) was quickly performed from Vehicle I (only 51 s). During one exit attempt, initiated during the sinking phase, it was impossible to open the doors or windows until the vehicle was completely full of water. Conclusions: A vehicle is most easily exited during the initial Floating Phase. We suggest the following escape procedure: SEATBELT(s) unfastened; WINDOWS open; CHILDREN released from restraints and brought close to an adult; and OUT, children should exit first.

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Supplementary Data: 1 item

Keywords: traffic accidents; highway safety; drowning; exit; egress; underwater; fatality

Document Type: Short communication

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3357/ASEM.2769.2010

Publication date: 2010-08-01

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• The peer-reviewed monthly journal, Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine (ASEM) provides contact with physicians, life scientists, bioengineers, and medical specialists working in both basic medical research and in its clinical applications. It is the most used and cited journal in its field. ASEM is distributed to more than 80 nations.
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