‘Seat belts off. Windows open': Demonstration shows simple steps to get out safely if your car enters the water
A car is seen in the water after being driven in as part of a demonstration to show how to get out quickly and safely on June 4, 2025. (Scott Andersson/CTV News Winnipeg)
Water safety experts are wanting to get the word out about what to do if your vehicle ends up in a body of water.
Several organizations came together Wednesday to perform a water demonstration and show how to get out of your vehicle quickly and safely.
'All you need is, basically, your brain to tell your finger to press the red button on your seat belt and then to press the button to open your window,' said Gordon Giesbrecht, a vehicle submersion expert.
Giesbrecht, who performed the demonstration, said there are misconceptions about what happens to a vehicle when it hits the water, the most common being the windows won't work because the water has short-circuited the electrical system.
He said that isn't the case. During his demo, Giesbrecht was able to take his seatbelt off, roll down the window and crawl out in around 10 to 15 seconds.
If someone were to ever find themselves in this situation, he said there is a simple acronym that people can remember to ensure they get out quickly—SWOC.
'Seat belts off. Windows open. Out immediately. Children first.'
The key is to get out of the vehicle within the first minute. If people stay calm, he said that can be plenty of time for them to think through what they must do and get out.
He said around 400 people die from drowning in their vehicle every year in Canada and the United States.
Giesbrecht wants SWOC to become the new safety slogan that everyone remembers, saying everyone knows what to do if their clothes catch fire—stop, drop and roll.
'I did a study on this a while ago, and more people are in the water in a car than ever have their clothes on fire,' he said. 'If everybody knew it and could remember it, the number of drownings in cars would decrease from 400 probably to 100.'
Those 100 drownings would be because of additional injuries suffered when the vehicle hits the water, Giesbrecht said. But the majority are unhurt when driving into a body of water, and they have the ability to get out, he said.
Denise Johnson's daughter, Brittany, died last year after her vehicle entered a pond in Molson, Man.
Johnson believes her daughter would still be alive if she knew what to do once she was in the water.
'It was 1:30 in the afternoon. Maybe she panicked; maybe she didn't know that information,' said Johnson.
She is encouraging everyone to learn what needs to happen if they end up in this situation.
'Please be cautious. There are so many people driving. There are so many waterways, there's bridges, there's open water. Know what to do. Talk to your family. So many people, they live out of town, their kids are 15 years old, 16 years old, getting their licence.'
Giesbrecht said so many drowning deaths in vehicles are easily preventable and he hopes this simple demonstration will save lives.
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