Messerbaer60 I 100% agree.
I actually don’t value one pocket knife over another if I’m honest. If I’m working I don’t have keys, pocket knives, a lighter, wallet, coins or anything in my pockets. The safety/emergency tools I’d recommend aren’t knives.
Stay calm, remove everyone from immediate danger by means possible screaming or otherwise. CPR, apply hand pressure to any rapid bleeding are the main basic things. Then next level would be to stabilize the patients head, put in the recovery position if breathing but unconscious. Anything you do can potentially make things a lot worse. Don’t move them unless there is an immediate danger.
Seriously don’t waste your time and energy trying to cut through a windshield. Certainly don’t pull out a knife. Unless you have proper training and a trauma bag don’t cut clothing off to expose anything. Just apply pressure until a professional arrives. Even if it’s an hour.
I’d also like to add in an auto accident everything disappears in your car. If it’s heavy like a knife or phone it’s probably gotten flung out of a window. I drive a lot of old cars that still have ashtrays. I keep a spring loaded centre punch in the closed ashtray of all my vehicles that have windows. Just a cheap one. I’ve also taped one to the underside of my parking brake handle with easily torn masking tape before. You never know, it might still be there if I roll but it’s worth a shot. Not expensive ones. You can get 3 of them for 8 Euro. You just push on them and they pop the window in a somewhat controlled way.
I would actually recommend something like this small rescue tool in the second picture. I bought something like it for my mother years ago. It has a belt cutter on it too. This is how you want to cut your belt rather than trying to find and unfold a knife. Now you’re falling on your head with an open knife. Think about you’re trying to do it in a panic because there’s a fire or something. You can reach into an over turned car with one hand and cut a belt safely to help someone else out too.
Really just take a CPR and a basic first aid class if you really want to help your family or other people. Take the course as a family maybe. In some jurisdictions they’re even offered free because they are sponsored by different groups. Really a little education can go a long way. Pay less attention to splinting broken bones and more on the life saving stuff. You’re just suppose to be a calm set of hands. It’s only immediate life saving stuff other than that just comfort/calm them.
I would never pull my gloves off to dig in a pocket to pull out a pocket knife from my pants then fiddle with it to open it at scene. I have shown a picture of it before but I had a special light weight rescue tool in my right side leg pocket, a spring loaded centre punch and a spare set of gloves in the other leg pocket and nothing else.
I’m not screwing around with a little glass cutting blade either. If I’m cutting a windshield I’m using the correct tool and it’s done like right now. If you’re inside and you could actually position yourself to use it you should have already found a way out. Kick out the window is always a good choice.
Spring loaded centre punches. Use near edge of safety glass windows.
A really good option. It has a belt cutter and a spring loaded punch. Attach it somewhere you can always reach it with either hand.
A multi tool I would always keep on me in my turnout gear. Professional tool. Pointless unless you’re a firefighter.
