How to Escape Car That's Underwater

Of the 10 deaths this week from flooding in Georgia and Alabama, seven of the victims drowned when their cars were swept away by flood waters.

And among the flash flood deaths this year over half the people killed have died in their vehicles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What would you do if your car were stuck in a flash flood?

CBS News correspondent Hari Sreenivasan went to Survival Systems USA in Groton, Conn. for a demonstration on how to exit a vehicle when water starts flooding in. You can watch the demonstration by clicking on the video below.

Richard Martin, a representative of Survival Systems USA, said when flash floods occur, it's important to remain calm, but get out of the car as soon as you can. He added, you should also go against instinct, and not roll up the windows.

He also explained cars with electric windows will often not work when a car goes underwater. If you roll up the electronic windows, he said, that's a "worst-case scenario" because you would have to wait for the pressure inside the vehicle to equalize with the water outside, in order to open the door. Automatic locks, he added, should still work -- even if the vehicle is not started.