60 seconds to survive a car crash:Learn what to do in ‘golden minute’ when car doors suddenly lock

Date: February 6, 2026. Three friends died a painful death after their car fell into a canal in Itarsi, in Narmadapuram district. On March 2, a father and son were burnt alive when their CNG car caught fire in Chhindwara. A common factor in both incidents was that the car doors did not open after the accidents. Because of this, the people trapped inside did not even get the chance to escape. Following these tragedies, questions have been raised about why advanced central locking and electronic security systems in cars fail at critical moments. How does this system work? Why does it fail during accidents? And what should people do if they find themselves trapped in such life-threatening situations? To understand these issues, Dainik Bhaskar spoke to automobile experts and mechanical engineers. 3 incidents in which 6 people lost their lives Case 1: Canal becomes the grave of 3 friends in Itarsi On the night of February 6, a speeding car in Itarsi lost control near the Pathrauta canal. The vehicle broke through the railing and plunged directly into the canal. Three friends, Sahil, Mayank and Anas, were inside the car. As soon as the vehicle fell into the water, it began to sink slowly. A video recorded by people standing on a nearby bridge during the incident is chilling. In the footage, one of the young men can be seen desperately calling for help from inside the car, waving his arms and legs. They were pleading with bystanders to break the doors and windows, but the car remained locked. People outside were unable to help in time. Within moments, the vehicle filled with water and all three died of suffocation. After nearly two hours of effort, an NDRF team pulled the car out with a crane, but by then it was too late. Case 2: CNG car turns into a ball of fire in Chhindwara On March 2, in the Kundipura police station area of Chhindwara, a car collided with a Bolero parked on the roadside. The impact was minor, but what followed was terrifying. The collision caused the CNG tank to explode and the vehicle quickly caught fire. Inside the car were 61-year-old Amrit Singh and his 22-year-old son Arun Singh. The fire spread so rapidly that the central locking system stopped working and the doors jammed. Neither of them had a chance to escape and both were burnt alive inside the car. Case 3: Villagers break windows in Vidisha, saving 6 lives On March 13, an Alto car lost control and fell into water beneath a culvert on the Sironj–Kurwai road in Vidisha district. In this accident as well, the central locking system failed and the doors did not open. Seven people were trapped inside the vehicle as water quickly began to fill it. Fortunately, villagers and passers-by acted quickly. They smashed the car windows using stones and sticks and pulled the occupants out one by one. Although 60-year-old Anandi Lal died in the incident, the remaining six people were rescued. How does a car’s central locking system work? Krishnendra Pandey, a feature expert at an automobile agency, explains that a central locking system is an electronic mechanism that allows the driver to lock or unlock all doors simultaneously with a single button. The system operates through several steps- Signal reception: When the driver presses the remote key or a switch on the door, an encrypted radio signal is sent to the car’s Body Control Module (BCM). Signal processing: The BCM, a small onboard computer, processes the signal and determines whether the doors should lock or unlock. Actuator function: After receiving the command, small motors in each door, called actuators, activate and physically move the locking mechanism. Auto-lock feature: In most modern cars, doors automatically lock once the vehicle reaches a speed of 15–20 km/h. This prevents doors from accidentally opening while the car is moving. Pandey adds that some modern vehicles also include a collision mode, which automatically unlocks the doors when airbags deploy during an accident. Why does the system fail during an accident? Mechanical engineer Rahul Goswami, who has long experience in the automobile sector, says several factors can cause central locking systems to fail in crashes. Power supply failure: The most common reason is a loss of electrical power. The system depends entirely on the car’s battery. In a serious collision, the battery may shift, the terminals may break or wiring may be damaged. When a vehicle falls into water, electrical systems may short-circuit. Once power is lost, actuators stop functioning and the doors remain locked. Body distortion: A strong collision can twist the vehicle’s chassis and frame. This misaligns the doors, causing them to jam within the frame. Even if the locking system remains functional, the door may still be impossible to open. Fire or explosion damage: In cases such as the Chhindwara incident, rising temperatures during a fire can melt plastic components and wiring. The BCM and other electronic parts are also damaged by heat, rendering the entire system inoperative. Water pressure: According to Professor Dr Ravindra Zilate of MANIT Bhopal, water pressure is another major factor when a car sinks. As a vehicle submerges, the pressure exerted by water outside the car becomes far greater than the air pressure inside. Because of this, it becomes extremely difficult to push the door open, even if it is unlocked. What to do if you get trapped in a car ? Accidents can happen to anyone, but awareness and quick action can save lives. Stay calm and act quickly: Panic reduces the ability to think clearly. In many situations, there is only a ‘golden minute’ of around 30–60 seconds to act. The first step is to unbuckle your seat belt. Focus on the window, not the door: Do not waste time trying to open the door, especially if the car is in water. Immediately attempt to open your side window. If the power window fails, breaking the window may be the only option to escape.