# What's the best car window to break in an emergency?



## birdie22

First I'll say this has a happy ending. Yesterday I locked my baby in the car by accident. It was a totally freak thing...

I was coming out of church with DS2 (2 mos old). I unlocked the car with the remote, opened the back door, threw the keys on the drivers seat as always, and started to strap him in the car seat. While I was doing the car seat, I heard the locks click and thought 'How strange... somebody else around here must have a remote that works on my car.' While that thought was still in my head, I slid the door shut, and then realized...









Thankfully it was an unseasonably mild morning, and the car was in the shade. DH couldn't get to me with spare keys b/c he was 20 mins away at home with DS1 and no car. A friend called AAA and they sent an emergency truck in less than 10 mins, and my baby was rescued!

Had it been a hotter day, I would have had to break a window. Which leads to my question... What's the best window to break on a minivan? How much force does it take?

I just want to put my mind at ease about this. It was such an unnerving experience. What if it had been 100 degrees? What if I was at a place where I couldn't get to a phone, or nobody was around to help me? I want to be able to say that if it ever happened again, I could always do x, KWIM?

Thanks


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## bjorker

Bumping this thread, because I'd love to hear an answer too. That's a good question. I'd just assume whichever is furthest away from the child, although you don't have too worry about that TOO much because the windows should all be made of safety glass. I actually had a back window randomly implode over a year ago while I was driving on the freeway, and the glass shattered in little blocks that weren't sharp. Which is a good thing to know.









I think it would take more force that it seems, though. That's what would concern me -- whether or not I could actually do it if need-be. Although if you needed help, I'm sure calling 911 would do the trick.


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## MCatLvrMom2A&X

The furthest away from the child and the smallest that gives you access to the locks. The driver side front window would probably be your best bet unless the child is behind the drivers seat in that case the passanger window.

Replacement wise those are the 2 easiest and less expensive of van windows.


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## sunnymw

As far as breaking a window, I've heard it's easy if you can use the tip of your key and stab it directly in the middle of the window--that's what you're supposed to do if you drive into water on accident









Of course, if your keys are in the car, that doesn't help much







I guess any other similar object-hard, blunt-would do the trick.


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## treqi

you should break the drivers side rear window and it should easily break with a rock or thick(1.5-4in) piece of (pretty solid) wood or if you have no other options wrap your hand in cloth(not so much to protect your hand from glass shards but beating on a glass window that doesn't want to break hurts) and hit it as hard as you can in the center of the window it might take a few tries....... if you have shoes with hard soles (like high heels) those would prolly work.......

ETA: You dont want to break your drivers window unless you have the money to get it replaced ASAP....... as for the drivers side rear some duct tape will suffice(i had a duct tape window for a whole colorado winter once)


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## cognito

Just as a note for car drivers...
Those ittly bitty windows actually cost a lot more to replace than the kind that roll down. I don't know why, but found out the hard way. (No babies involved. Just a dumb ex)


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## an_aurora

Quote:


Originally Posted by *sunnymw* 
As far as breaking a window, I've heard it's easy if you can use the tip of your key and stab it directly in the middle of the window--that's what you're supposed to do if you drive into water on accident









Of course, if your keys are in the car, that doesn't help much







I guess any other similar object-hard, blunt-would do the trick.

They have special glass breaking tools we used on our ambulance.

Otherwise, a screwdriver does quite nicely. Or a rock, or whatever you can find laying around.

The one farthest away from the baby is the best, but if the child is located in the middle of the vehicle, say in the middle of the 2nd row of a van and RF, I would break the front passenger window. If the child was FF, I would break one of the back windows.


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## birdie22

Thank you so much! I knew you folks would have the information.

And thanks for not teasing me for being such a bonehead!


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## DahliaRW

Quote:


Originally Posted by *birdie22* 
Thank you so much! I knew you folks would have the information.

And thanks for not teasing me for being such a bonehead!









I think most of us probably have done the same thing on accident.


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