Car Escape Tools: A Perfect Father’s Day Gift (That’s Really For You)
Ever get that special gift for your birthday or Mother’s Day? You know, the one that you knew really wasn’t for you? Maybe it was that chainsaw you always dreamed about? Or something useful, but perhaps not all that thrilling, like a homeowner’s tool kit? Maybe it was something like an iPad that you actually liked, but it was quickly claimed by that special someone who gave it to you? Of course, I personally have always given thoughtful gifts, but I always keep an eye out for the perfect gift. The one that will not only be appreciated, but also doesn’t seem like you actually had yourself or your kids in mind, even if you did!
We know that all of our savvy readers are concerned with auto safety. Being trapped in a vehicle can be very scary, even if it is not on fire or sinking in the water! If there isn’t a fire or water hazard, you may have time to dial 911, and then have some options to try different windows or a hatch for escape. But if there is a hazard, you might not have the time to do anything but unbuckle yourself and escape, and any precious seconds wasted are fewer seconds you have if you also need to unbuckle your children!
There are dozens of tools at Amazon and other stores to help you escape. Most are of a “Hammer” design, requiring a good swing or flick of the wrist to crack the glass. These may work well enough if you have the room, but getting a good swing if your car is filling with water may not be so easy. These types of crashes are not very common, but may claim the lives of hundreds of occupants a year. Plus, your husband doesn’t really want a bright yellow or pink plastic hammer! That’s a clear sign that you might not have had him in mind when buying the gift;-)
There’s an easy solution, a spring-loaded punch. Even one from a hardware store should do the job. But good quality ones can be somewhat expensive, while cheap ones can jam or break easily. Hardware store tools do make good gifts for Father’s Day, but why stop there when you can have something better shipped to your door? We’ve found the ultimate Father’s Day or birthday gift for Dad, something that will also give YOU peace of mind in case of a vehicle entrapment crash!
Enter the StatGear T3 Tactical Auto Rescue Tool. Even the name has Father’s Day written all over it. It’s the black steel equivalent of a Swiss Army knife for escaping an automobile. You get not only a covered, spring-loaded center punch for breaking glass easily, but you also get a hardened stainless steel hook blade for cutting seatbelts and harness straps, a serrated high carbon 440C stainless steel knife blade and an LED light with replaceable batteries. And best of all, you get something that LOOKS like a gift for Dad, even if you also had yourself and your kids in mind when you bought it!
It’s frequently on sale for under $35 at Amazon, which is about the same as a high quality hardware store spring-loaded center punch that doesn’t give you any extra features. It’s a great gift for any driver. Designed by a NYC Paramedic, it should be handy for first responders as well. This is definitely not a tool that should be easy for kids to reach, as with any sharp edged knife or tool. The closing mechanism on the knife is similar to some other knives and requires caution for adults as well.
Want to step it up a notch? Go for the StatGear Auto Survival Kit for $59.99. In stock, and free delivery by Father’s Day if you order soon! It includes the T3 Tactical Auto Rescue Tool. Plus, you get other auto emergency and first aid essentials, including a re-usable glow stick, nitrile gloves, gauze, an assortment of bandages, instant ice packs, alcohol prep pads, tape, antibiotic ointment, tweezers and emergency drinking water. It’s all packaged in a nice, padded black case with velcro to strap around a large sun visor or fits into a center console, door pocket or glove compartment.
And it works, too! Smashes tempered auto glass more easily than a hammer style escape tool and cuts through harness material like butter. I tested it out and took a look at the Survival Kit in this video:
Now maybe some would prefer that pink one for themselves or for their teen driver? No worries, StatGear has you covered as well. The SuperVisor XT is a compact model that attaches easily to any sun visor. It’s not a spring-loaded design like the T3, but it does include a seatbelt/harness cutting tool. And if pink isn’t your thing, it comes in black, green and orange, too.
Hopefully, you won’t need any tool to break a window if your car goes into the water. Wikihow has some additional tips for escaping from a sinking car. For those cases where you do need a tool because of water pressure, door damage or other factors, do keep in mind that hammer and center punch tools won’t always shatter the whole window enough for you fit. They should be able to break it enough to where you can use some other object like the knife blade of the T3 tool, a wrapped fist or a kick with your shoes to clear the rest of the window if necessary.
Thank you to StatGear Tools for providing the kit used in this review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.