By the evening edition.
Faced with the increase in floods with increasingly intense flood phenomena, here are the recommendations from the government and emergency services on the right actions to adopt if you are stuck in your vehicle during rising waters. This is the topic of the day on “the not-so-stupid question”, the podcast of the evening edition.
In the event of flooding, the most dangerous trap is the car, as recent floods in Spain have shown. In Valencia, many motorists found themselves trapped in their cars and drowned. To date, more than 223 people have died. Here is what to do and what to avoid if you find yourself stuck in a car while the water is rising.
Avoid taking your car, stay away from waterways, etc.
First of all, simply avoid driving if flooding is forecast. Georisks, the government website, reminds us that “30 centimeters of water is enough to wash away your car”. He also advises staying away from waterways, banks and bridges and not going down into basements and underground car parks.
Read also: Floods in Spain: woman rescued after being stuck in her car for three days
Unbuckle your seat belt, open the windows
Despite these precautions, if you still find yourself stuck in a car during rising water, the first thing to do is to call emergency services and indicate your position so that they can come and save you. In a video broadcast on social networks, Jamy Gourmaud, the flagship host of the cult show It’s not rocket science, (which is no longer broadcast) was staged in a flooded car to remind people of the actions that save.
First lesson from this video, produced in collaboration with a Vaucluse fire brigade trained in water rescue: undo your belt to free yourself. As soon as you understand that the water is rising, you must open your windows as quickly as possible because the doors will no longer be able to open when the water has risen to their level, the water putting pressure on them. “If the windows are electric, they will no longer be able to open with the rising water because there will be a short circuit,” comments Jamy Gourmaud. According to the Mister Auto blog, you must turn off your engine at all costs, because rainwater can seep into the car, causing serious damage to the vehicle.
Go to the roof
But why open the windows? To be able to escape from inside the car, because even though getting out is dangerous, “staying in the habitable environment is almost guaranteed death”, alert Jamy Gourmaud. While waiting for help, the best thing is to try to climb onto the roof of the car and hold on to any part of the vehicle to avoid being swept away by the water.
Once the firefighters arrive, they will use the so-called “turtle” technique to save you. “By holding each other by the arms, they offer more resistance to the current,” explains the video. Techniques that are not yet taught when learning to drive but which deserve to be!
