Road safety experts have shown how three simple tools can differentiate between life and death during a flood.
Having an emergency hammer, foil blankets and waterproof torches can help a lot in a flood emergency, but experts say it’s a disappointment that it took a flood emergency to get people prepared.
According to Russell White, founder and chairman of the Australian Road Safety Foundation, the first item, an emergency hammer, will allow people trapped in a car submerged in water to escape by smashing windows.
He said having a device or something like that is very important in emergencies.
“These windows in cars are very difficult to break, and they are often impossible to do with physical force alone, so you really need something to make this job easier,” Mr White told ABC.
“If you have something like this on board, make sure it’s easy to get to. Do not keep it closed in the boot or out of reach.
“If you don’t have something like that (an emergency hammer), you can use things like a headrest when it pops up completely.
“The metal that is at the end of this can be smashed with considerable force or sufficient force to break the window using one of these things.”
Evaculife CEO Bruce Bromley said a foil blanket is also a must have because it can wrap in an adult or child.
A waterproof torch will also help illuminate dark areas, regardless of weather or humidity.
“When there is a tragedy … it makes people suddenly realize that there must be something like this in our car,” Mr Bromley said.
“We have a lot of instructions on things like smoke alarms for homes, but when it comes to vehicles, the information available is very limited.
“It’s a bad topic to talk about, but it’s something people need to start talking about.”
