Car in the water - what now?

It is an absolute horror scenario for every driver: The car goes under water and you have to get out of it to avoid drowning. Although such a scenario is fortunately rare, it is certainly realistic. Due to the increase in extreme weather events such as flooding and heavy rainfall, roads can be flooded and cars swept away within a very short space of time. Even without being completely submerged in water, it is necessary to act quickly. With a combustion engine, just 30 centimetres of water can lead to a total loss because the engine suddenly sucks in water instead of air and literally sinks.

Into the water with an electric car and combustion engine
From a water height of 50 centimeters, the vehicle can also float and can no longer be controlled. For this reason, flooded roads or underpasses should not be driven through. If you get into the water with your car, you should leave it through the side window within one minute, as it can sink completely within three to four minutes. In cooperation with the German ADAC, the TCS has sunk two cars in water several times. This involved investigating how quickly these cars sink, how the electronics react and how quickly occupants can or must free themselves. The Seat Exeo, a combustion engine, and the Citroën ëC4, an electric car, were used in the test on a military base in Bavaria (Germany).

Window regulator works under water
The best and safest option for leaving the car is to exit through a side window. In the Citroën with electric drive, the driver can do this easily, as the electric windows still work even in water. However, it is essential to act quickly. This is because the electric car sinks below the water's surface in just under three minutes. The sinking behavior does not differ significantly from that of a combustion engine. The diver, who remained in the car, also confirmed that the window lifters were still working during the test, even completely under water. The battery also withstood the water bath. Even after recovery, it showed no abnormalities in temperature and there is therefore no risk of electric shock.

Opening the door is practically impossible
The TCS and ADAC experts deliberately simulated that the power windows of the Seat Exeo combustion engine did not work. Because the vehicle has double-glazed windows, there is also no way to break the window. This means that the driver has to open the door, which is only possible once the pressure of the incoming water is no longer so high and the pressure has equalized. In the test, the driver's door can therefore only be opened after 4 minutes and 36 seconds! At this point, the occupant's head was already under water for 1 minute and 37 seconds. In an emergency, it would not be possible to hold your breath for long enough due to the adrenaline, cold and physical exertion. The only option: shortly after landing in the water, it may still be possible to open the door. However, this would put the car in an inclined position, which could pose additional danger to other occupants.

Quickly out through the side window
The practicality of breaking a single-glazed window was also tested. It was shown that it is possible to smash the window with tools such as an emergency hammer or a feather punch. However, unlike in Hollywood films, it is hardly possible with tools such as a car key or seatbelt buckle tongue. If a car gets into the water, it should therefore be possible to get out in less than a minute and the window lifters should be operated as soon as possible. In the event of an accident, however, it must be borne in mind that the occupants are in shock and the water may be significantly colder than in the test. It is important to remain calm, not to waste unnecessary energy trying to open the door, but to exit the car via a side window within the first minute of the water entering the vehicle.