Coastal Traveler - Spring 2008 - (Page 22)

coastal scenario How to escape from a car hanging over the edge of a cliff Do not shift your weight or make any sudden movements. If the front doors are over the edge of the cliff, move slowly to the rear of the car and get out. Determine how much time you have. If the car is like the majority of cars, it is front-wheel drive with the engine in front. This means the bulk of its weight is over the front axel. If the rear, rather than the front, is hanging over edge of the cliff, you probably have more time to climb out. If the front of the car is over the edge, assess your situation. What is the angle of the car? Is it teetering? Does it sway when you shift your weight? If the car is shifting, you must act quickly. If the front doors are still over land, use these doors to make your escape, regardless of which way your car is facing. Open the door gradually, move slowly, and get out. If the front doors are over the edge, move to the rear of the car. Proceed slowly and deliberately; do not jump or lurch. If you have a steering wheel lock or a screwdriver, take it with you — you may need it to get out. Reassess your situation. Will opening the rear doors cause the car to slide? If not, open them slowly and get out quickly. If you think that opening the rear doors will cause the car to slide over the edge, you must break the window. Without shifting your weight or rocking the car, use the steering wheel lock or screwdriver to shatter the rear door window (this is safer than breaking the back window because it will require less movement as you climb out). Punch it in the center — the window is made of safety glass and will not injure you. In situations involving several people, everyone in the front should (or everyone in the back) should execute each step simultaneously. If driver and passenger are in both front and rear seats, the people who are closest to the edge of the cliff should attempt to get out of the car first. From The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel, by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht. Used by permission of Chronicle Books. Available at www. chroniclebooks.com/worstcase. http://www.chroniclebooks.com/worstcase http://www.chroniclebooks.com/worstcase http://www.chroniclebooks.com/worstcase

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Coastal Traveler - Spring 2008

Coastal Traveler - Spring 2008 Contents Coastal Connoisseur Coastal Picks Coastal Scenario Coastal Art Coastal Driver Coastal Roadkill Coastal Eco Coastal Hotel Coastal Desert San Diego La Jolla Laguna Beach Malibu Santa Barbara San Luis Obispo Big Sur Carmel Monterey Santa Cruz San Francisco Sausalito Mill Valley Stinson Beach Bolinas Olema Point Reyes Station Fairfax Inverness Marshall, Tomales Sebastopol Petaluma Sonoma Coast Redwood Coast

Coastal Traveler - Spring 2008

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