It’s one of the scariest scenarios imaginable when you’re on the road: You suddenly find your car is submerged in water. What should you do, other than not panic?
It’s one of the scariest scenarios imaginable when you’re on the road: You suddenly find your car is submerged in water.
What should you do, other than not panic?
Fox News Digital spoke with Tina Paff, a certified driver rehabilitation specialist for Bick’s Driving School of Southwest Ohio, about how to stay safe in the event of a submersion.
“Water submersion occurs more often than most people think,” Paff said on Wednesday.
A 2016 study from the University of Manitoba noted that every year, around 400 people die in submerged vehicles in North America — accounting for up to 10% of all drownings.
Flooding is the primary reason for these occurrences, according to Paff.
“Sometimes it involves losing control of a vehicle during a storm next to a body of water, like a river, and a car will accidentally drive into that,” she told Fox News Digital.
Then there are the rarer catastrophic events — such as the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Maryland on Tuesday.
While a water submersion incident is terrifying and dangerous, Paff said that with a “calm demeanor, you can survive.” She shared tips for how to do that, should it happen. What to do if your car is headed for a plunge
If you know you’re heading for a plunge, the first step is to brace yourself with both hands on the wheel and be ready for the impact, Paff advised.
