Vehicle Survival

 

 

Travelling via some kind of personal transportation is something most of us do on a daily basis and is most likely something we take for granted. Hopefully I’m not preaching to the choir here, but here are some pointers that others have found useful to share with friends and family.

 

• When stopping in traffic always leave enough of a gap between you and the car in front to pull round them, if need be. (In case of Road-Rage Etc…)

 

·          Keep your tank at least half full of fuel whenever possible. (In case of Fuel Shortage, Closed Petrol Station Etc…)

 

• Keep the Doors locked when driving. (Stops car-jackers Etc…)

 

·          Keep a nice hefty D-cell Mag-lite in the door pocket (they’re great for illuminating the errors scallies make)

 

• If your vehicle becomes submerged underwater, stay calm and wait for the passenger compartment to fill with water, only then will you be able to open the door/s and swim to safety.

 

All of the above should blend seamlessly into your own vehicle preparedness plan of spare tire, jack, wheel wrench, spares bulbs & fuses, tow rope etc…

 

In addition for your own car, or cars used by a loved one, there are two must-have items:

 

Fire Extinguisher & Life Hammer (or similar rescue tool)

 

The fire extinguisher should be checked at monthly intervals and replaced when necessary. It should also be secured in a location that is accessible from a variety of positions, try to think out-side the box when installing it, making sure it doesn’t foul seats or obstruct a swift exit.

 

There is reasonable selection of rescue tools available at the moment including the Life Hammer, Res-q-me and various makes of folding rescue knives along with the excellent Benchmade Rescue hook.

In my opinion even more thought should go into the placement of a self-rescue tool in a vehicle than the extinguisher.

Thinking of worst case scenarios, flipping the car and winding up on your roof has got to rank up there with the best of them and it’s that situation I base my tool placement on.

 

Picture this if you will, you’re driving along minding your business when out of no where a Sunday driver clips you, you hit a ditch/kerb/embankment [delete as appropriate] and go for a short if some-what bumpy ride. You are now seated in the car, upside-down, held tight against the seat by your seat belt (you do wear your seat belt don’t you?), the world is spinning and you don’t know which way is up or down.

 

Pushing the seat-belt release catch won’t work, not with your body weight on it, the belt need to be cut.

 

In your current seated position the Rescue hook in your pocket is inaccessible and therefore as useful as chocolate tea pot.

The rescue knife clipped to the sun visor is probably out of reach, luckily the Life Hammer stuck in the seat next to the handbrake is readily available, within reach and ready to rock. You can cut the belt, smash the window and egress at your leisure.

 

Product placement is as important in rescue tools as it is in advertising. Check it out for yourselves, ensure that wherever you place your chosen tool it will be secure but reachable whether you are upside down or from the passenger seat and possibly even in the backseat as well.

 

A few moments of careful thought on this matter can save a life time of heartache.

 

YMMV.

 

Dan Webster