A new national survey reveals that most Americans are dangerously unprepared to escape a vehicle sinking in water, a scenario that kills more than 400 people in the United States each year. The survey was conducted as part of the Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES), featuring questions developed by The College of New Jersey’s Justice and Blameworthiness Lab (JABLab) in collaboration with Kids and Car Safety.

The research, conducted through the 2024 Cooperative Election Study (CCES) at Harvard University, surveyed 1,000 adults nationwide about their knowledge and confidence in surviving a vehicle submersion emergency. The findings show widespread misinformation, false confidence, and a lack of basic understanding about how little time there is to act.

“Many times, victims are dying from drowning trapped inside sinking vehicles because they did not get out in time,” said Amber Rollins, Executive Director of Kids and Car Safety. “When panicked, it can be extremely difficult to discern what to do, and with children in the vehicle, this challenge is even greater. This survey shows that far too many people are unprepared for those critical seconds, and that dangerous misconceptions are literally costing lives. We urgently need to make sure every driver knows what to do the instant their car hits the water. If you wait, your car becomes a coffin.”

“Our analysis shows that overconfidence and misinformation are pervasive, cutting across age, race, gender, and education levels,” said Elizabeth Borland, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology at The College of New Jersey and Director of JABLab. “Even highly educated adults frequently hold deadly beliefs about how to escape a submerged vehicle. This makes it clear that public safety campaigns cannot assume that knowledge comes automatically with education — targeted outreach and clear guidance are essential.”

Key Findings from the 2024 National Vehicle Submersion Survey

• Few are truly prepared: Only 3% of people were both confident and correct, while up to 43% were “confident but wrong” — the most dangerous group.
• Major knowledge gaps: Only 42.6% of Americans correctly identified that they must escape immediately through a window.
• Dangerous timing beliefs: Nearly 60% thought they had more than one minute to get out, even though a sinking vehicle becomes inescapable once water pressure begins pushing against the side windows. In most cases, this happens in about a minute.
• False confidence: Average confidence was 2.96 out of 5, with many overestimating their ability to escape. Men and higher-educated respondents were more confident but not more accurate.
• Persistent, deadly myths: Many still believe they should wait for the car to fill with water before exiting — a fatal misunderstanding that wastes precious time.

Misinformation Spans All Demographics

The study found that no demographic group is reliably prepared:

• Men and women had similar accuracy rates (approximately 43%), but men were far more confident — and more likely to be wrong.
• Black and Asian respondents were least likely to correctly identify the proper escape method, with the “door myth” especially prevalent.
• Higher education correlated with greater confidence, but not greater accuracy, showing that misinformation transcends education level.
• Parents were only slightly better informed, with 52% correctly stating that children should exit first.

Call to Action: Remember “SWOC”

Kids and Car Safety urges all drivers to memorize the proven steps for escaping a sinking vehicle:

SWOC

S – Seat belts off

W – Windows open

O – Out immediately

C – Children first (oldest to youngest)

Because vehicles typically submerge within one minute, delaying action can be deadly. There is no time to call 911 or wait for rescue. Knowing these steps before an emergency occurs can make the difference between life and death.

Tragically, many victims who are unable to escape are found days, weeks, months, or even years later deceased inside their vehicles.