Every year, heavy rainfall across the country—including swollen rivers in various provinces—leads to numerous reports of cars falling into water. Due to a lack of self-rescue experience, such incidents often result in "total loss of vehicle and life." So, what should you do when facing the danger of a car submerging? Though this topic may seem a bit "heavy," this kind of knowledge and skill is just as essential as buying "flight accident insurance"—it’s a must-have.

1. Self-Rescue Guide When Your Car Falls into Water

1. Escape Through the Window If Water Hasn’t Reached It

Ding Min’ai, who has over 20 years of driving experience, recalled that his driving instructor specifically taught them how to handle a car falling into water. Ding emphasized that whether you’re in the front or back seat, wearing a seatbelt is the prerequisite for safe driving. If your car accidentally falls into water, stay calm, quickly assess your location, and determine an escape route. The first thing to do after submersion is to unbuckle your seatbelt, then immediately unlock the electronic central locking system in case it fails. At the same time, open the car windows as soon as possible to facilitate escape. If the water level is shallow and hasn’t submerged the entire car, wait until the vehicle stabilizes before trying to exit through a safe point. If the water is deep but hasn’t reached the windows yet, quickly lower the windows. If power windows short-circuit due to water and won’t open, break the side window with a hard object (windshields are nearly impossible to break).

2. Stay Calm and Wait for Buoyancy If Water Has Reached the Windows

Sun Yao’an, who has driven for over a decade, learned car submersion self-rescue techniques during a training session on handling unexpected driving situations. Sun said the two most crucial things after a car falls into water are to get out of the vehicle and to float to the surface. Failing either drastically reduces survival chances. Don’t try to open the door as soon as the car hits the water—it’s nearly impossible. The external water pressure at that moment is far greater than the internal pressure. Instead, stay calm and wait as water gradually enters the car. Once the interior is nearly full and internal and external pressures equalize, the door should open more easily. If you can’t swim, grab any floating objects inside the car before exiting. If possible, cover your head with a large plastic bag, tie it tightly, and use the air inside to provide oxygen for buoyancy.

3. Never Speed

Experienced drivers constantly emphasize the dangers of speeding. A well-maintained sedan traveling at 100 km/hr will have braking distances of 42 meters on dry roads and 50 meters on wet roads. Such distances make it difficult to react correctly in emergencies. While 50 km/hr may seem like a “minor” speed for a skilled driver, the impact force in a collision at that speed is equivalent to falling from a three-story building. Double the speed to 100 km/hr, and the impact equals that of a 12-story free fall. Imagine dropping a car from the 12th floor—even into water—what would happen? So, please never speed.

2. Rescue Guide When Someone Is Trapped in a Submerged Car

When a car accident leads to submersion, occupants often suffer unavoidable injuries. How to properly handle these injuries becomes a challenge for rescuers. Today, let’s share some methods for dealing with such situations.

1. Choking on Water

First, remind all occupants: after a crash, immediately call 120 for emergency help. Provide on-site first aid based on the situation, and follow medical personnel's instructions if they are present.

If a person is choking due to water inhalation from the submersion, place them face down with their chest and abdomen resting on your knees. Gently tap their back to help expel water from their airway or stomach. If they regain a heartbeat after expelling the water, lay them flat on their back with their head turned to one side. If there is no heartbeat, begin CPR using chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Before giving breaths, clear the mouth and nose of any obstructions, secretions, or vomit. Pinch the victim’s nose, give two breaths, then perform 30 rapid chest compressions (at about 100 per minute) on the center of the chest (between the nipples). Repeat the cycle until the person regains a heartbeat. Also, rescuers should not assume death too quickly. Some severely injured individuals may have very weak pulses or breathing that untrained people can’t detect—so continue rescue efforts and wait for medical professionals to arrive.

2. Bleeding

In cases of severe bleeding from a car accident, temporarily bandage the wound with a towel or similar material while applying firm pressure to the artery above the wound to slow blood loss. For major limb bleeding, immediately tie a rubber band, bandage, or belt tightly near the heart end to prevent excessive blood loss. Be sure to loosen it every 40 minutes to an hour to avoid limb necrosis due to lack of blood flow.

Internal bleeding may cause symptoms like shock, pale complexion, and cold sweats. In such cases, avoid moving the injured person unless absolutely necessary, and move slowly and minimally if you must. When shock occurs, lay the person flat and elevate their legs to help maintain blood pressure longer.

3. Fractures

Never move or bandage a fracture victim haphazardly. If movement is unavoidable, ensure the fractured area remains stable to prevent bone fragments from damaging blood vessels or nerves, which could impair recovery—or worse, lead to amputation. For simple limb fractures, you can improvise by using ropes to bind two or three wooden boards, cardboard pieces, or thick straight branches horizontally above, on, and below the fracture site.