Sad Commentary on Technology

I feel sorry for the kids and the familys, but I'd say that was more a commentary on education than technology.

That sucks, heard about the phone calls, had not heard that they found them drowned.

There was a episode on Myth Busters a while back that had cars sinking and it was no easy task to break a window in a submerged car. If you don't have something heavy and metal I can see how they would not have made it out.

If you ever hit the water in a car, open the windows right away before you lose electricity to them or you could be doomed. Once the water got about half way up the doors they guys could not even open the doors.

Scot

Just wondering, how do you get to "instead of fighting to get out of a car sinking in 12 feet of water, they were phoning for help."

Wow - doesn't anyone ever carry emergency equipment? Windows don't break now they shatter - one quick smack with a crowbar and you don't have a window. Lot of other stuff you can do with a crowbar, too. Can't imagine being on the road without one under the seat.

You're right Scott - nobody teaches that kind of thing for some reason. Go figure. Every year someone out here in the NW freezes to death because they drive into the mountains with no winter gear in the car - just going for a little scenic drive, ya know. Then they get stuck and die. Many of em don't even have the sense to carry a lighter (duh, I don't smoke). Some people just shouldn't leave the house.

I'm not saying all fatalities can be avoided but am really wondering where people's sense of survival went to. It's always nice to give yourself a fighting chance.

That is really sad and horrible. I hate to say it but at least they weren't kidnapped and tortured, which is what my first thought was. Didn't know they had been found.

The other thing to carry is one of those deals to cut the seat belt. I have one somewhere. Better find it.

I am going to put a wrench in my car tomorrow.

I have Onstar but I wonder in that situation if your airbags go off since that would be what would alert Onstar to send help.

I live around bridges too and one famous big one that keeps falling apart. (SF Bay Bridge)

Aint it the truth, Kay.

No the one I have is just like a big plastic paper clip that you keep right on the seat belt. It has a razor blade edge inside. I have seen those tools Rick is mentioning too but I don't know where.

OH yeh! You just reminded me that I can get into the trunk from the backseat and then in there is a latch to open the trunk from the inside. (kidnap & carjack ready)...

My car is weird - the battery is under the back seat too. Go figure, at least nobody asks me for a charge.

Be safe!

Common sense is scarce. I guess they wanted OTHER people to do the work for them.

When you know you're about to drown, survival mode kicks in. I don't care who you are. And I'm sure these girls didn't just sit there on the phone while water filled the car. Also - Even if these girls did kick at a window at the same time, it's very likely that the window still would not have broken.

They were young, and like most young people they think they are invincible and probably never think about these type of scenarios. So when it happens, they have no clue what to do. It's a good wakeup call for those of us w/ kids to prepare them for as many emergency scenarios as you can think of.

That tool that Rick showed is very good but I don't remember a seatbelt knife at the other end. The only reason I don't have one is because I have my crowbar and always have it within reach - as well as a hunting knife.

When I lived in Klickitat I had to drive to work up a winding road and there was no guardrail at many points - river below. On icy days it was what I called a white knuckle drive. I refuse to use a seatbelt under such conditions. They may save lives on open highway, but if my car starts to go over a cliff I'm going to be able to bail out fast -especially with a river running beside (and below in that case) the car. I'm not jeapordizing my safety because some idiot in a plush office wrote a stinking law.

When stuff like this happens you don't have a lot of time.
You need your emergency gear where you can reach it instantly - and somewhere it won't be pitched so you have to look for it.

There are three factors that might have cost those girls their lives whether they remained calm or not. If the girls car went airborn before it hit the water they spent their first few seconds of survival time stunned from the jolt of hitting the water. They might not have known that they weren't going to be able to open doors or windows so probably wasted time trying - and they either didn't have something to break a window with - or were too freaked to find it. They might have expected to float longer if they were calling for help, too. Unless someone sees you go over and will stop and try to get to you themselves, you're in fantasy land expecting a rescue. You can buy every damned electronic gadget in the book and the most you're going to get out of it is to have someone be able to locate your dead carcass so they can bury it.

People really have to get more in touch with their survival instincts again. It's not a real good time of the planet to have them bred out of you by extreme social connection.

I hate to be crass, but this IS funny:

The Darwin Awards