chaoticoctopus
Member
Did anyone else see this episode? They put to the test the commonly held notion that you can't open the door of a sinking vehicle until the water level inside the car is equal to the water level outside of it (basically, once it's almost full of water). They found this was TRUE. The door would not open until the water pressure inside was equal to the water pressure outside. The awful part, though, was that it took almost two whole minutes for this pressure stabilization to happen. So, in a RL situation, waiting this long to be able to open the door (or, wasting precious oxygen fighting to open it the whole time), the passengers would be dead.
Then they attempted to debunk the myth about electric windows failing underwater (shorting out), or being able to roll down a manual window. With x-amount of pounds of pressure against both kinds of windows (recreating the amount of water pressure at about 2 ft. depth), BOTH types of mechanisms failed to open. The pressure pushes the glass against the car's frame with too much weight for the mechanism to work. BUT the good news was, with their testing, an electric window DID continue to operate correctly for at least 45 min., proving that at least they don't short out and trap you inside.
Next they tested the myth that there was some specific window of opportunity that the door *would* open, before the car was too full of water. They did get the door open, but it took a tremendous amount of energy, and the guy using the other side of the vehicle for leverage to push against the driver's side door. It would be very difficult indeed to time the opening of the door just right, allowing for differences in vehicle size and liquid capacity.
Lastly, they tested the ability to break a window underwater, with variuos means and implements that one would usually have in a car (keys, cellphone, feet/kicking), and all failed to be able to break a window. Then they tried two different devices meant for breaking windows in emergencies, and they worked!
Long story short, if you drive over water, you may want to consider keeping one of these devices in your vehicle in case the unthinkable were ever to happen. It could save your life!
(Anyone who knows what these things are called, or who can offer a link, it would be greatly appreciated! I can't recall at the moment...)
Then they attempted to debunk the myth about electric windows failing underwater (shorting out), or being able to roll down a manual window. With x-amount of pounds of pressure against both kinds of windows (recreating the amount of water pressure at about 2 ft. depth), BOTH types of mechanisms failed to open. The pressure pushes the glass against the car's frame with too much weight for the mechanism to work. BUT the good news was, with their testing, an electric window DID continue to operate correctly for at least 45 min., proving that at least they don't short out and trap you inside.
Next they tested the myth that there was some specific window of opportunity that the door *would* open, before the car was too full of water. They did get the door open, but it took a tremendous amount of energy, and the guy using the other side of the vehicle for leverage to push against the driver's side door. It would be very difficult indeed to time the opening of the door just right, allowing for differences in vehicle size and liquid capacity.
Lastly, they tested the ability to break a window underwater, with variuos means and implements that one would usually have in a car (keys, cellphone, feet/kicking), and all failed to be able to break a window. Then they tried two different devices meant for breaking windows in emergencies, and they worked!
Long story short, if you drive over water, you may want to consider keeping one of these devices in your vehicle in case the unthinkable were ever to happen. It could save your life!
(Anyone who knows what these things are called, or who can offer a link, it would be greatly appreciated! I can't recall at the moment...)