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Are these things of any use at all? Should one be in a crash sufficiently bad to jam the seatbelt and render the windows unopenable, will there be any physical possibility (or need) to find one of these tools, and apply it? It seems to me that they're highly likely to be completely worthless.
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They're pretty worthless, take one to a scrap yard and you'll find you can't cut the seatbelt and can't break the window. I tried one once and it was useless. You would probably be able to cut a seatbelt if it was held taught but not one you are wearing. Breaking the window from the inside with one in the seated position didn't work for me either, you just can't get a good enough swing.
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We were all given one of these as a promotion for some thing or other. The spiel given was :
If you drive into deep water, and the electrics shorting out prevent the windows being opened and jam the central locking, it'll give you a method of escape!
I saw them in Poundland!
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I have ben in a pretty severe crash. The chances are the damn hammer thing would fly around the car hitting you on the head. Where would you put it? I couldnt twist or anything i was pulled so tight in the seat by the pre tensioners. The seatbelt release worked fine tho - I knew where that was - and the door opened.
Waste of time the hammer things
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In my only severe accident I was rendered unconscious. My only memory (still) is looking back from the side door of an ambulance to the hire car (HGV in the boot... tanker in the side of the HGV.. all near Malpensa so a fairly big accident as all the roads closed).
By then my wife was on the ambulance trolley being treated and I was on a seat. I was then asking paramedics can I just get the luggage (head wound was still bleading but the wound was all the way through to my skull). Reality was the HGV was "in the luggage area". So you cannot get it.
Would one of these helped us? Probably not.... Apart from being a hire car I was unconscious and my wife thought I was possibly dead... (I tone down that opinion). So did the HGV driver.
But in the UK I do lock the doors (and therefore boot).... but did I lock the Fiesta hire car?? I possibly did but not sure. If I did, then did it unlock??? This is making me reconsider locking doors.... but I don't want to ask about the accident - my wife knows more and it's not discussed....
Edited by rtj70 on 16/12/2008 at 23:12
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Maybe useful IF you happen to be at the scene of an accident, and trying to assist somebody to get out of the car.
Maybe compulsory kit for trackside or motor rally marshalls, but for man in the street, a one in 50 squillion chance that it will ever be used, methinks.
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I remember coming across an upside down car in a ditch at night, with the driver and female passenger stuck upside down in their seats. No way could we undo their seatbelts - fortunately I had my tool case in the car and used a hacksaw to cut the belts and get them out.
I since tried one of these tools in a scrapyard and it works, so I have one in my glovebox now.
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Martin, thats interesting as I am sure the paramedics etc would say do not release them until you are fully aware of their injuries eg. spinal.
However my friend had an accident in summer, car overturned, and once she escaped she then crawled back in and released the seatbelts to let her kids out the car even though car was upside down. Its just natural instinct I guess..
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Martin, thats interesting as I am sure the paramedics etc would say do not release them until you are fully aware of their injuries eg. spinal.
If you're upside down in a ditch, with the possibility of the water level rising if the car slips a bit more, I suspect that they wouldn't worry.
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Don't knock these tools. They make excellent naff stocking fillers for family members you don't like!
;-)
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Very usefull to keep discreetly hidden behind the bedroom curtains in upstairs rooms that dont have a fully opening double-glazed window!
Billy
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That's a breach of building regs and should never have been installed. where do you live?
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That's a breach of building regs and should never have been installed. where do you live?
Current regs maybe - Which date of building regs are you referring to?. Out house is the same - from new.
AFAIK building regs are not retrospective.
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I'm thinking an automatic centre-punch would be more useful. You could pre-load it and store in the a holster in the door pocket, and pressing the button would release the spring-loaded pin to break the glass, this is what smash and grabbers often use. I hear it is best to do it in the corner where there is less 'give' to take the shock.
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house built 1890's - "cottage-type" windows (large lower pane with opening light at top).
At time of fitting about 20yrs ago, we only "needed" one "escape-window" upstairs, this is in the bathroom, ewhere we can escape onto nieboughs kitchen roof. That was the "regs" then!
"Billy
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I was once involved in a serious smash. I drove into the side of someone who pulled out in front of me while I was doing about 40mph. Cars didn't have airbags at the time and my head avoided contact with the steering wheel following the collision due to me having the seat a very long way back.
However, the force of the impact had jammed both doors and the electric windows wouldn't open as the car no longer possessed an electrical system. With the help of some passers by I managed to bend the driver's door sufficiently to crawl out as there were also no side intrusion bars in the doors back then.
Believe me, being trapped and helpless like that is the most horrible feeling and since then I always have an emergency diamond tipped hammer with me.
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Absolutely. As long as one of the upsatirs windows is escapable all is well. They don't all have to be.
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BP intend that all their company car drivers have a safety kit in their car which includes a "life hammer". tinyurl.com/3w2w2o
Click on details of the kit to see this information.
Edited by L'escargot on 18/12/2008 at 06:57
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