How to Get out of a Car That's Hanging over a Cliff
Stay calm., Keep your foot on the brake., Set the parking brake., Slowly recline your seat., Open the windows., Turn off the vehicle., Take off your seat belt., Unlock the doors., Move in planned unison., Watch, listen, and feel for movement.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Stay calm.
It's quite a shock to find yourself teetering on the edge of a cliff, but the more calm and methodical you are, the better your chance of escape.
Unless the car is rolling or shifting—in which case you just need to get out as quickly as possible—take a moment to determine your best route of escape. -
Step 2: Keep your foot on the brake.
If you came to a rest with your foot on the brake pedal, leave it there until you can set the parking brake.
It may be the only thing that's preventing you from rolling off the cliff. , Pull the brake handle very slowly and smoothly, and stop if you detect any movement.
If your foot is on the brake pedal, slowly remove it.
Note that for practically all cars, the parking brake works only on the rear wheels while the brake pedal affects primarily the front wheels (75% front 25% rear.) If you are turned around such that only your front tires are on level ground, carefully find an object to keep the brake pedal down. , Reclining your seat while it holds your bodyweight will shift the center of gravity away from the car's engine and towards the back of the car.
This, in turn, will reduce the chances of the car tipping forward and rolling off of the cliff's edge., If you have to move within the car to get to a safe exit door, prepare for the possibility that you may need to exit through the window.
If you have electric windows, roll the window of the target door down before you leave the drivers seat (only do this if you can do so without starting the vehicle).
If you won't be able to roll the window down, pick up a small tool that you can use to smash it, such as a wrench or screwdriver, and bring it with you when you move to the door.
You only want to try a window if the door won't open or if opening the door will cause the vehicle to shift. , If your car is still running, turn it off. , When you unbuckle it, make sure that it's positioned so that you won't get tangled up in it when you try to move.
Instruct your passengers to do the same. , In the confusion of the situation, it's easy to forget that the doors are locked.
If this happens, you or your passengers may panic when you try to open the door and it doesn't open.
A person who panics may try to force the door open, and their movements may cause the vehicle to shift.
It's especially important to remember to unlock the doors if you have passengers in the back seat, such as small children, who may not be able to unlock their doors. , If there are multiple people in the car, make a plan before anybody moves.
Typically, those who are seated closest to the cliff's edge should get out first if possible.
This will maintain a favorable balance of weight in the vehicle.
They should climb over the other passenger(s) if necessary, but this should be done as smoothly as possible.
If people can get out simultaneously — if the only occupants are in the front of the vehicle, for example, and they can both exit the doors nearest them — they should exit at the same time. , If you feel, hear, or see a slight movement, immediately stop what you're doing.
Your instinct will probably be to push off from the car and leap out as quickly as possible, but this is not wise if there are other passengers who have not yet exited the vehicle.
Instead, stop for a moment to see if the movement stops.
If you detect a more pronounced movement or movement that doesn't immediately stop, it's time to scramble out as quickly as possible and hope for the best. -
Step 3: Set the parking brake.
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Step 4: Slowly recline your seat.
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Step 5: Open the windows.
-
Step 6: Turn off the vehicle.
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Step 7: Take off your seat belt.
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Step 8: Unlock the doors.
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Step 9: Move in planned unison.
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Step 10: listen
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Step 11: and feel for movement.
Detailed Guide
It's quite a shock to find yourself teetering on the edge of a cliff, but the more calm and methodical you are, the better your chance of escape.
Unless the car is rolling or shifting—in which case you just need to get out as quickly as possible—take a moment to determine your best route of escape.
If you came to a rest with your foot on the brake pedal, leave it there until you can set the parking brake.
It may be the only thing that's preventing you from rolling off the cliff. , Pull the brake handle very slowly and smoothly, and stop if you detect any movement.
If your foot is on the brake pedal, slowly remove it.
Note that for practically all cars, the parking brake works only on the rear wheels while the brake pedal affects primarily the front wheels (75% front 25% rear.) If you are turned around such that only your front tires are on level ground, carefully find an object to keep the brake pedal down. , Reclining your seat while it holds your bodyweight will shift the center of gravity away from the car's engine and towards the back of the car.
This, in turn, will reduce the chances of the car tipping forward and rolling off of the cliff's edge., If you have to move within the car to get to a safe exit door, prepare for the possibility that you may need to exit through the window.
If you have electric windows, roll the window of the target door down before you leave the drivers seat (only do this if you can do so without starting the vehicle).
If you won't be able to roll the window down, pick up a small tool that you can use to smash it, such as a wrench or screwdriver, and bring it with you when you move to the door.
You only want to try a window if the door won't open or if opening the door will cause the vehicle to shift. , If your car is still running, turn it off. , When you unbuckle it, make sure that it's positioned so that you won't get tangled up in it when you try to move.
Instruct your passengers to do the same. , In the confusion of the situation, it's easy to forget that the doors are locked.
If this happens, you or your passengers may panic when you try to open the door and it doesn't open.
A person who panics may try to force the door open, and their movements may cause the vehicle to shift.
It's especially important to remember to unlock the doors if you have passengers in the back seat, such as small children, who may not be able to unlock their doors. , If there are multiple people in the car, make a plan before anybody moves.
Typically, those who are seated closest to the cliff's edge should get out first if possible.
This will maintain a favorable balance of weight in the vehicle.
They should climb over the other passenger(s) if necessary, but this should be done as smoothly as possible.
If people can get out simultaneously — if the only occupants are in the front of the vehicle, for example, and they can both exit the doors nearest them — they should exit at the same time. , If you feel, hear, or see a slight movement, immediately stop what you're doing.
Your instinct will probably be to push off from the car and leap out as quickly as possible, but this is not wise if there are other passengers who have not yet exited the vehicle.
Instead, stop for a moment to see if the movement stops.
If you detect a more pronounced movement or movement that doesn't immediately stop, it's time to scramble out as quickly as possible and hope for the best.
About the Author
Natalie Mendoza
Enthusiastic about teaching home improvement techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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