The collapse of the Phong Chau steel bridge in Phu Tho this morning (9/9) shocked many people due to its severity and unexpectedness. A video from a dashboard camera of a car traveling towards the bridge showed that there were still many cars on the bridge at that time. It is estimated that about 10 cars and 2 motorcycles fell into the river, and about 13 people are missing. As of 4:30 p.m. today, only 4 people have been rescued.
Any car accident is terrifying, but being trapped inside a sinking vehicle is even more so. According to safety experts, the golden time to escape from a car is only a matter of seconds.
Moment of bridge collapse in Phu Tho with multiple vehicles on it.
The following are the steps to escape from a sinking car, as published on Wikihow:
When a car falls into the water, the airbags may deploy due to the impact. It is important to keep your hands on the steering wheel in the correct position (as shown in the image) to avoid injuries from the airbag deployment. For passengers, lowering your head or raising your hands can increase the risk of injury in an accident.
You only have about 30-60 seconds to act before your car is completely submerged.
When the car falls into the water, experts advise passengers not to panic and not to call for help. Calling for help will take a few precious seconds and reduce your chances of escape. Instead, unbuckle your seatbelt and press the button to lower the electric windows if they are still operational.
If there are children in the car, after unbuckling your own seatbelt, prioritize unbuckling the children and getting them out first.
If the windows won’t go down, use a sharp object such as a key, a glass breaker tool, or remove the headrest from the driver’s seat and hit the metal part hard against the window to create a large hole and escape.
According to experts, the golden moment to open the car door and escape is when the water level outside is still lower than the windows. If the water has risen above this level, do not attempt to open the car door in the usual way (by pulling the handle and pushing the door open) as the water pressure will make the door heavy and difficult to open.
Additionally, if the door is opened, more water will rush into the cabin, causing the car to sink faster. If you choose to break the glass, only break the side window glass, never the front or rear windshield as these are thicker and more difficult to break.
If there are children in the car, push them out through the open window first as it will be easier to get them out first and then follow them out, rather than having to turn back to rescue them.
After breaking the glass, take a deep breath and escape. You can swim up towards the light or follow the shadows if the water is murky and you can’t see the light.
To prepare for such emergencies, drivers should keep emergency escape tools in their vehicles, such as a glass breaker hammer and a seatbelt cutter, and educate themselves and their children/elderly passengers on how to unbuckle seatbelts.
According to VNN
