Device for breaking car windows

Getting trapped in a vehicle after an accident is no joke, here are some recommendations for reliable window breakers should such an emergency arise. See below for my suggestions. Public domain image via Pixabay. My interest in window breakers began when I had to commute across a prairie that had a history of serious flooding. I witnessed some terrible accidents during that period and knew from local media reports that a large proportion of fatalities had happened because people had been trapped in their vehicle by floodwater.

Investigating further, I discovered that floodwater is not the only threat to life that can be countered with a window breaker. There are all sorts of environments where you really don't want to get trapped in your vehicle. Mountainous areas, or cliffs can be dangerous, as can long stretches of wilderness.

Severe weather can also pose a threat to your safety: heat, rain, snow, and wind are all potentially deadly in certain situations. As well as a built-in a hammer, many glass breakers also incorporate other survival tools. A seat-belt cutter, for example, will enable you free yourself and others quickly. A flashlight will help you find your way around in the dark, and provide you with the means to signal for help.

After years of research and experimenting with different window breakers, I've put together a list of tools that I believe to be the best currently available. The Lifehammer Safety Hammer is such a classic design for a window hammer, it's never gone away.

I have one of these in my car, mounted above the driver seat. Despite its lightweight design, it does the job admirably, thanks to the two hardened steel points. Luckily, I've not had to use it in an emergency, but I did get to try it out on old car that was headed for scrap.

I was bought one of these as a gift from a friend, who appreciates my interest in safety devices. The charger has two USB ports for charging your phone or other compatible devices. The metal tip of the charger is made from tungsten and designed to be an effective glass breaker.

The placement of the seat belt cutter prevents your fingers from getting sliced, even when cutting. The resqme's big advantage is that you don't have to worry about finding it in an emergency, as the hammer is combined with a keychain, making it always within reach if an accident occurs.

As I've already said, it is crucial that you always have your emergency window breaker close at hand in the event of an accident. It's no use if you are pinned into the driver's seat and get to it. The resqme car escape tool deals with this issue by combining the escape tool with a keychain.

I have given them to friends and relatives in the past as gifts and they are always popular. My wife loves hers. Once you've purchased your emergency window breaker, you will need to install it, of course.

Many models come with a bracket for easy installation. It needs to be somewhere handy, where you can put your hands on it quickly, should you be unlucky enough to need it in the aftermath of a car crash and need to make an emergency escape. I would highly recommend putting your emergency window breaker tool either in the middle console or above the driver's seat, the two easiest places to access quickly in a confused or frightening situation.

This will help avoid confusion in an emergency, which could increase the time it takes to exit the vehicle. Also, have a backup plan in case an escape tool cannot be used or doesn't work. While time is of the essence — work quickly and cautiously to ensure everyone safely exits the vehicle.

If the window will not open and the car has tempered glass, use an escape tool to break a side window to escape. Drivers should also remember that if the vehicle is submerged:. Stay with it until all of the air has left the vehicle. Once this happens, the pressure should equalize, allowing occupants to open a door and escape.

Related Articles. So it was no surprise to Kevin when one of his drivers, Scott, went above and beyond when he witnessed a horrific accident. He was determined to find him no matter how long it took. Johnnie, a tow provider with Meyers Towing, responded to a member whose car had stalled out on the side of the road.

See More Articles. As probably the most hardcore-looking option on our list, the INGEAR AutoXscape provides three features in one and comes ready and waiting for the worst to happen. This is a seatbelt cutter, window breaker and flashlight in a heavy-duty package.

This car window breaker keeps working to save your life, even after you have escaped your vehicle. The outer shell is impact-resistant and created with military-grade aluminium, while the light comes with three modes, including an SOS mode that helps you call for help should you be unable to use your voice. It states that its lifetime guarantee truly does mean a lifetime guarantee. If at any point your item fails to stop working and you can and should test it regularly it will repair or replace the item with no question.

While this escape tool is one of the most expensive options, you can easily see why. This is quality and craftsmanship taken seriously so you have a handy tool you can use to save your own life.

The Stinger plugs in to your cigarette lighter and is a handy USB adaptor for your electronic devices. This simple added functionality means that the likelihood of the window breaker being within your reach during an escalating situation is much higher than some of the other options available.

This is an emergency tool for your car that works in the same way as the Resqme in that you simply slice your car seatbelt open and press the hammer against the window, allowing it to do the work for you. Naturally, this comes with a slightly higher price tag. The reason for the strange shape of this particular car safety tool is that it actually has up to seven uses when it comes to survival. This is more of a pocket knife that happens to include some great window breaking features versus an emergency window breaker.

So, what are these abilities? First, there is a USB socket as the tool actually works as a power bank. Second, this power bank is charged via the use of a hand crank, which is attached, and can recharge itself via kinetic energy should you need to charge your extra charging station you can never be too careful.

Then, of course, you have a seatbelt cutter and window breaker, closely followed by a flashlight and a red LED indicator with an SOS setting. It can also be a little more complicated to use, so valuable seconds could be wasted when trying to escape your car. Here is another life hammer on our list with a simple yet effective way of cutting you free from your seatbelt and getting you to safety with a good swing. The IPOW is small and classic window breaker. The FutureSky is a 6-in-1 tool that gives you all the essentials you need in an emergency situation.

Not only does it contain the window breaker and seatbelt cutter you can find in all of the items on our list, but it also has a magnet and LED light combination and a whistle to help you call for help. You might be wondering what a tire gauge is doing on this list, but this is no ordinary tire gauge. The PSI measurement tool is a great addition to your arsenal when it comes to avoiding accidents, since poor tire pressure can lead to an onslaught of issues with both motorcycles and cars.

This tool tops it all off with multiple other uses, including you guessed it a window breaker and seatbelt cutter.