Here are the steps to handle a vehicle falling into water: 1. Open the windows immediately: As soon as the car falls into water, open the windows to prevent the doors from becoming impossible to open once the car sinks. Allowing water to flow into the car quickly ensures that the pressure on both sides of the door equalizes, making it possible to open the door. If the windows cannot be opened, use an object to break the window, such as the car headrest. The correct method is not to smash but to pry—aim for the window gap, insert, and pry the glass apart. Besides the headrest, tools like a safety hammer or fire extinguisher can be used to break the window, preferably targeting the edges or corners for easier breakage. 2. Open the door promptly: Do not wait until the water reaches the lower edge of the window before attempting to open the door, as the water pressure inside the car will be at its highest, making it very difficult to open. When opening the door, pull the inner handle and use your foot to push at an appropriate angle, which is more effective than the usual door-opening action. 3. If all four doors and windows fail to open as the car submerges, consider escaping through the sunroof. 4. Trunk escape: If the sunroof escape fails, opt for the trunk. Generally, when a car sinks, the front tilts downward while the rear floats upward before gradually sinking. At this point, unfasten the seatbelt, quickly crawl to the rear with the key, fold down the rear seats, locate the trunk release latch, and escape through the trunk. 5. Typically, a car will fill with water within 1-2 minutes. Stay calm during this time. Once the car is fully submerged, push the door open forcefully, swim to the surface as quickly as possible, or climb onto the roof to await rescue. Additionally, those in the water can grab floating objects like basins or fuel tanks, submerging the openings underwater or blocking them to use as flotation devices, thereby extending survival time.
