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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I can’t believe the state of our infrastructure is so bad that this would take out the WHOLE bridge. God bless the people who were driving on it at the time, there’s no way they will pull many survivors out of the river [/quote]

I do not want to sound obnoxious but every single time I am traveling on a bridge over water I am always on alert and anticipate that I could  end up in the water at any moment. [/quote]

Same, it's a massive fear of mine. I actually wind down my window so I can get out if my car ends up in the water.
It's even worse now that I'm always driving with my toddler in her car seat in the back seat..

So sorry for those people who were on the bridge, it happened so quick :([/quote]

I wind up the windows and have this tool ready if we fall in the water.
I image that if you have the windows down, the water would flood the car with such force that you couldn't fight it and it would submerge the car more quickly.

Car Safety Hammer Set of 2... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MK2GNKD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
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would this actually break the glass of a fully submerged vehicle?  I keep reading that nothing will break that class and only chance is to have rolled down the window before being submerged. [/quote]

OK, I just went down a total rabbit hole researching this.  Here's what I learned.

[u][b]Car window-breaker tools only work on tempered window glass, NOT laminated glass[/b][/u].  Even with tempered glass, hammers like the one linked above often won't work underwater due to the pressure.  [u][b]To break tempered glass more effectively underwater you need a spring-loaded window puncher[/b][/u] like the one they use in the video below.  Always try to break windows in the corners, not the middle. Corners are the weakest.  See the results of AAA's tool testing here: [url]https://newsroom.aaa.com/2019/07/vehicle-escape-tools-testing/[/url]

Cars made in the last 8 years or so, generally have laminated glass on the side windows rather than tempered.  You can double-check the sticker in the corner of your door window (or your car owner's manual) to see which kind you have, but if your car was made pre-2016, the door windows are probably tempered.  Front windshields are always made of laminated glass, even pre-2016, so never waste time trying to break a front windshield.  As noted above, laminated glass is impossible to break with any window-breaker hammer or punching tool. That said, [b][u]your best bet is always to undo your seat belt, roll down the window, and get out as fast as possible before your car submerges and your power windows stop working.[/u][/b]

Here's the good news. Some cars made post-2016 will still have one or more side windows that are made with tempered glass (usually in the back seat).  You need to check the window stickers or your owner's manual to find out for sure about your make/model. So it's probably still worthwhile to have a window-puncher in your car.  The video I saw (below) recommended zip-tying it someplace accessible rather than keeping it in your glovebox or purse, which may not be accessible in an emergency--especially if the car flips upside-down.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqBW1OSepbw&t=0s&ab_channel=AdventuresWithPurpose[/youtube]
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