Vehicle Entrapment Accidents Persist: How to Escape Based on Glass Type

[Anchor]

As heavy summer rains lead to frequent vehicle flooding, accidents where drivers become trapped inside their cars are occurring repeatedly. Depending on the type of vehicle glass, the method of escape and the chances of success can vary significantly.

TJB reporter Kim So-young reports.

[Reporter]

Last July, on a road in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, more than 100mm of rain per hour poured down.

Eight vehicles were submerged, resulting in two deaths, including a driver in his 60s who was found dead inside his car.

In 2023, the Osong underpass disaster also claimed 14 lives.

With vehicle flooding accidents recurring every year, we conducted a vehicle escape experiment in collaboration with the National Fire Research Institute.

First, we tested tempered glass, which is commonly used in standard vehicles.

When the edge of the glass was struck several times with a headrest, it shattered. An emergency hammer yielded similar results, while a punch-type emergency escape tool was able to break the glass with relatively little force.

A card-type escape tool also demonstrated high destructive power, but the key was how securely it could be positioned at the top of the window.

[Seo Young-jin / Researcher, Field Response Team, National Fire Research Institute: When using emergency escape equipment to break glass, striking the edges, which are relatively weaker than the center, makes it much easier to break the glass.]

On the other hand, laminated acoustic glass, which is frequently used in the latest and high-end vehicles, was different.

Even when using escape tools such as headrests or emergency hammers, only the impacted area was partially damaged, making it difficult to secure an exit.

Unlike tempered glass, laminated glass does not shatter all at once; instead, a hole is punched only in the specific area of impact.

This is because even if the outer glass layer breaks, the inner interlayer film maintains the structure.

Ultimately, since it is difficult to escape by breaking laminated glass, it is more important than anything else to evacuate quickly before the vehicle is completely submerged.

[Park Min-young / Senior Researcher, Response Technology Research Division, National Fire Research Institute: Laminated acoustic glass may not break easily because the film remains between the glass layers. In the event of a flooding accident, you must secure an escape route, such as opening the windows immediately while the electronic systems are still functioning, or opening the trunk.]

As the type of glass is indicated at the bottom of every vehicle window, experts advise drivers to check in advance what type of glass is installed in their vehicles to prepare for emergencies.

(Video coverage: Kim Gyeong-han, TJB | Design: Jo Min-kyung, TJB | Source: YouTube channel 'Pickplus')

Kim So-young, TJB
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.