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Lifehammer
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- Newbie
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2020 3:10 pm
Lifehammer
I was thinking of putting a life hammer in my e89 as I live in an area with lots of water, lakes, rivers etc.
I understand the life hammers don't work on specific types of glass (layered glass?) but I am not sure if my z4 actually has that or not.
questions:
1. Do we have this type of glass? will the life hammer work?
2. Do any of you have such a hammer?
3. what would be the best place to put it? (nope, not the trunk...)
I understand the life hammers don't work on specific types of glass (layered glass?) but I am not sure if my z4 actually has that or not.
questions:
1. Do we have this type of glass? will the life hammer work?
2. Do any of you have such a hammer?
3. what would be the best place to put it? (nope, not the trunk...)
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- Senior Member
- Posts: 2798
- Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 2:49 am
Lifehammer
1. I don't know, but ...
2. I have one, which ...
3. I keep in the hinge-down cubbyhole by the side of the steering column.
Presumably, the only convenient way to find out if it'll work is to go to a scrap yard and try it on a modern car (from the inside, of course). I haven't done that.
Mine also has a seatbelt-cutter and I haven't tried that, either.
Wherever you keep it, it obviously needs to be prevented from flying around the inside of the car in the event of an accident and to be reachable by both driver and passenger.
2. I have one, which ...
3. I keep in the hinge-down cubbyhole by the side of the steering column.
Presumably, the only convenient way to find out if it'll work is to go to a scrap yard and try it on a modern car (from the inside, of course). I haven't done that.
Mine also has a seatbelt-cutter and I haven't tried that, either.
Wherever you keep it, it obviously needs to be prevented from flying around the inside of the car in the event of an accident and to be reachable by both driver and passenger.
Vidi, vici, veni
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- Lifer
- Posts: 4017
- Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 8:27 pm
- Location: Stourbridge
Lifehammer
I knew a fellow worker, he drove his car down inside canal lock, in the dark and drown. Think he was drunk on the way back to his narrow boat.
Just best to avoid water, or at least drive near with roof down.
Just best to avoid water, or at least drive near with roof down.
- Deepseaskateboard
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1001
- Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2015 9:53 pm
Lifehammer
Surely it’s better to have one than not if it’s a genuine concern.
If you needed to use it, I am sure you could make it work.
Or just use a regular hammer. That works on most things!
If you needed to use it, I am sure you could make it work.
Or just use a regular hammer. That works on most things!
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- Senior Member
- Posts: 2798
- Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 2:49 am
Lifehammer
p.s.
I have a 'life hammer' because I was driving an estate car quickly on a two-lane section of the A1 after midnight, when I came across large pieces of lorry tyre debris, which I tried to avoid. In doing so, I hit the kerb by the Armco and the car flipped, rolled across the road and ended upside-down in a big ditch.
Hanging by the seat belt, the first fear was fire, so I switched the ignition off, but the car was diesel and there was no sign of it. Instinctively, I then undid the seat belt and ... fell on my head. Next, I tried the door, of course, but the ditch was so narrow that it couldn't open. Nor could the passenger's, so I crawled into the back, but the doors there were jammed, too.
At this point, I was beginning to worry, but tried one of the rear-door, wind-down, don't-open-all-the-way windows and managed to get my head & shoulders out. Having got all of me out, I rolled over and stuck my head back in to see how the dog was. Sitting calmly on the inside of the roof at the back, he looked at me and said, 'What the f... was that, then?', followed immediately by 'Can we go for a walk now?'
Two days later, I was standing in a recovery yard looking at the wreck when one of the staff came up and said, 'I'll bet he didn't get out alive.' I then realised that it was probably the laminated windscreen that meant he was wrong, because, although it cracked badly and partially collapsed, it still still supported the roof. So, whether a life hammer would have broken it well enough for it to be an escape route, I don't know. And breaking the side windows would have been no use, anyway. But smashing the vertical back window of the estate might well have been a way out. Hence the hammer now.
I have a 'life hammer' because I was driving an estate car quickly on a two-lane section of the A1 after midnight, when I came across large pieces of lorry tyre debris, which I tried to avoid. In doing so, I hit the kerb by the Armco and the car flipped, rolled across the road and ended upside-down in a big ditch.
Hanging by the seat belt, the first fear was fire, so I switched the ignition off, but the car was diesel and there was no sign of it. Instinctively, I then undid the seat belt and ... fell on my head. Next, I tried the door, of course, but the ditch was so narrow that it couldn't open. Nor could the passenger's, so I crawled into the back, but the doors there were jammed, too.
At this point, I was beginning to worry, but tried one of the rear-door, wind-down, don't-open-all-the-way windows and managed to get my head & shoulders out. Having got all of me out, I rolled over and stuck my head back in to see how the dog was. Sitting calmly on the inside of the roof at the back, he looked at me and said, 'What the f... was that, then?', followed immediately by 'Can we go for a walk now?'
Two days later, I was standing in a recovery yard looking at the wreck when one of the staff came up and said, 'I'll bet he didn't get out alive.' I then realised that it was probably the laminated windscreen that meant he was wrong, because, although it cracked badly and partially collapsed, it still still supported the roof. So, whether a life hammer would have broken it well enough for it to be an escape route, I don't know. And breaking the side windows would have been no use, anyway. But smashing the vertical back window of the estate might well have been a way out. Hence the hammer now.
Vidi, vici, veni
- Stevo1987
- Senior Member
- Posts: 1195
- Joined: Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:08 pm
- Location: Breckland, Norfolk
Lifehammer
Sounds a complete nightmare. Lucky the ditch wasn't full of water. I think anyone in The Fens should have some tools and an escape plan.Busterboo wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 12:19 pm p.s.
I have a 'life hammer' because I was driving an estate car quickly on a two-lane section of the A1 after midnight, when I came across large pieces of lorry tyre debris, which I tried to avoid. In doing so, I hit the kerb by the Armco and the car flipped, rolled across the road and ended upside-down in a big ditch.
Hanging by the seat belt, the first fear was fire, so I switched the ignition off, but the car was diesel and there was no sign of it. Instinctively, I then undid the seat belt and ... fell on my head. Next, I tried the door, of course, but the ditch was so narrow that it couldn't open. Nor could the passenger's, so I crawled into the back, but the doors there were jammed, too.
At this point, I was beginning to worry, but tried one of the rear-door, wind-down, don't-open-all-the-way windows and managed to get my head & shoulders out. Having got all of me out, I rolled over and stuck my head back in to see how the dog was. Sitting calmly on the inside of the roof at the back, he looked at me and said, 'What the f... was that, then?', followed immediately by 'Can we go for a walk now?'
Two days later, I was standing in a recovery yard looking at the wreck when one of the staff came up and said, 'I'll bet he didn't get out alive.' I then realised that it was probably the laminated windscreen that meant he was wrong, because, although it cracked badly and partially collapsed, it still still supported the roof. So, whether a life hammer would have broken it well enough for it to be an escape route, I don't know. And breaking the side windows would have been no use, anyway. But smashing the vertical back window of the estate might well have been a way out. Hence the hammer now.
2014 Z4 e89 35is in mineral grey.
2012 Audi TTS in Ibis white.
2012 Audi TTS in Ibis white.
Lifehammer
This reminded me of a Post from a few years ago of an accident where an E89 ended upside down in a field. The driver said the seat belt had to be cut to get him out because it had tightened so much it wouldn’t release by pressing the button. He ordered one of those hammer/seat belt cutters afterwards.
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=102560&hilit=Ended+up+in+field
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=102560&hilit=Ended+up+in+field
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- Senior Member
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- Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2016 2:49 am
Lifehammer
Yes, I remember that and the 'life hammer' I carry has a seat belt cutter, too.
Vidi, vici, veni
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