Ambulance and phone call number, taken in Brasov, Romania. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
I just read that five people in a helicopter which turned upside down in water, and the relatives of one are suing the company which ran the helicopters fro not providing knives to cut the seatbelts.
Your car crashes and you can't get out. You could be in the middle of a motorway. I was stuck in a car which was hit by another and was a write-off in the fast lane on the M4 near Reading in England.
Answers
I managed to get out of the car by undoing my seatbelt and climbing over to the passenger side. The doors on the driver side had been bent by the impact with the central barrier and the lorry (truck) driver outside who had run to help wanted me to get out. Luckily I was uninjured and was able to move.
In a previous accident, years earlier, I had broken a rib on the vertical steering column and my muscles seized up and I could not move.
Solutions are:
1 A hammer to break a window. (You can buy them window breaking devices in a pound shop and keep one in the glove box. The one I saw was like a spanner, quite short, with a triangular tip. I don't know if they work. If you work in or near a breakers' yard you could ask somebody for permission to try it out on a car whose window is not needed.
2 A knife. The trouble is you are not allowed to take knives on aircraft. You don't need a long-handled knife. Just a blade which is strong enough to cut without breaking.
Something to think about, whether you are a driver or a passenger in a vehicle. How do I get out in an emergency. On a plane, they run through escape procedure. Do they do that on a helicopter?
Do you do that when driving a group in a coach?
Train
On a train I always read the exit instructions. I read an article about a family who got out of a train accident and survived. They attributed their survival to the fact that one of them had noted the position of the exit (window) when they boarded the train just before the accident. Even though the train was plunged into darkness, they were able to find the window and escape to safety.
Emergency Exit at both ends of train. Sign in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil in Singapore. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
Words For Police And Ambulance
Another useful precaution is to know the words for police or ambulance. If you can't pronounce them, take a photo of a police car or ambulance which you can show to somebody.
Fire Assembly Point
When going into a building, note the fire assembly point, usually away from the building in the car park.
Fire assembly point sign outside block of flats. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
First Aid Kits
Do you have first aid training? If not, have you taken the trouble to read up on the subject? Do you have a first aid kit and first aid manual in your car or luggage, especially if hiking.
I was on a travel press trip and the PR girl had a large bag containing all kinds of medication, everything from aspirin and panadol to sticking plasters and bandages and nail scissors and sting relief, and a small bottle of spare water for drinking and washing a wound.
She told me she had been on a previous trip where somebody got stung and insisted on a long diversion to a pharmacy (drug store) which made the whole group miss an event as well as causing a lot of stress to everybody. This time she was prepared for all kinds of minor and major events.
Kitchen Kits
I bought a first aid kit for my kitchen. It contained bandages but not sticking pasters to protect minor cuts, nor waterproof tape, essential if you keep washing up, nor cream for relief from minor burns.
If the kit you buy has not enough room, you might wish to fix a second box on the wall below. Alternative print a notice saying where in the bathroom you have these items.
Bathroom Cabinets
If your bathroom cabinet has three mirrors, you might wish to label the correct window with the words First Aid and list the contents. Regularly check the items are still in place and that any tubes of medication are still in date and effective.
Recovery Position
Where To Buy
Amazon and other major suppliers have numerous hammers to break windowscreens and seat belt cutters at assorted prices. I noticed one device which does both.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AllRight-Emergency-Safety-Escape-Breaker/dp/B078PDWVN2/ref=sr_1_6/258-4831367-4331843?ie=UTF8&qid=1521024903&sr=8-6&keywords=hammer+for+car
As the boy scouts and girl scouts motto says: Be prepared.
Useful Websites
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5498207/Family-East-River-helicopter-crash-victim-sue-aviation-company.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_aid
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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