www.safetyissues.com: Auto Safety: Preventing Submersion Deaths

Auto Safety: Preventing Submersion Deaths
================================================================================
Staff writer for safetyissues.com on 07/06/08 01:00:00
 
www.saveyourlife.us
Tasha Elliott, the principal of an elementary school, her husband, Kevin, along
with their two children, 11 year-old Wyatt and 7 year-old Madison, didn't die as
a result of injuries sustained in a devastating high speed car crash, but
because they couldn't get out of their vehicle when it submerged in a pond.
Every year more than 300 people die trapped in their cars immersed in water. 
That’s more than one person every 29 hours!
In the U.S., we have just about every conceivable vehicle safety innovation at
our disposal, from curtain side air bags to collision avoidance systems – and
more. While these life-saving devices have added thousands of dollars to the
price of a new vehicle, they have been credited with saving tens of thousands of
lives.
Unfortunately, one safety device that potentially could have saved the lives of
the Elliott's and the estimated 300 to 500 just like them who die every year in
vehicle submersion accidents isn't required equipment on any vehicle.
Most people don’t know that car windows are made of tempered glass which is
so strong you can hit it with a tire iron and it won’t break.  Each year more
than 10,000 people are involved in water immersion accidents.  Many more are
involved in dry land accidents where the car doors and seat belts are jammed. 
If their car is sinking in water or on fire on dry land with smoke pouring in
the results are tragic.
Fortunately, there are personal auto escape tools available to the public that
can save your life in an emergency.  Two top quality tools are the Original
LifeHammer and a key chain version called a ResQMe. Both of these are used by
Police, Fire & Rescue and EMS departments throughout the US and Europe.
The LifeHammer and ResQMe are available to consumers as well as professionals
at a very low cost at www.saveyourlife.us.  These auto escape tools will easily
break a car window.  They are also equipped with a safety blade that will
quickly cut through a jammed seat belt.
If you are ever involved in an accident where your vehicle ends up in water the
most important focus should be to get yourself and your passengers out of the
car as quickly as possible.  In most cases exiting through a side window is your
best bet.
Too often people panic and think by keeping the windows up they can float long
enough for a rescue squad to save them. This almost never happens. Typically, a
car will only float for a few minutes (one to ten minutes) before sinking, even
with the windows up.  It takes a rescue squad a minimum of 20 minutes (usually
longer) to arrive.
Here are the five critical steps to escape a sinking car:
* Try to Stay Calm
* Unfasten your seat belt
* Open a window
* Exit the vehicle
* Swim to safety
For more information about the Original LifeHammer and ResQMe go to
www.saveyourlife.us.