--- title: "Could you survive — situations" description: "25 questions about surviving situations, each with what happens physiologically and in what order." url: https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/scenario/ site: "At One Place" --- # Situations 25 questions in the situations category. | Question | Answer | | --- | --- | | Can you survive a plane crash? | Usually — across all US airline accidents studied, more than 95 per cent of occupants survived. | | How long do you have to escape a sinking car? | Usually 30 seconds to a couple of minutes of floating — and the window is the way out, not the door. | | Can quicksand pull you under? | No. Quicksand is roughly twice as dense as a human body, so you float — you sink to about waist depth and stop. | | How far from a nuclear blast do you have to be to survive? | It scales with yield: for a one-megaton airburst, survival is unlikely within about 5 km and likely beyond about 10-12 km. | | How long can you survive in a hot car? | Under an hour on a warm day for a child — the interior gains about 20 °C in the first ten minutes. | | How long does it take to drown? | Under a minute to lose consciousness — and it is almost silent, which is why so many drownings happen in sight of others. | | What happens if a lift cable snaps? | Essentially nothing — lifts hang from multiple ropes and have a speed-triggered brake that grips the rails. | | What height can you survive falling from? | Survival is common below about 6 metres and rare above 20 — but people have survived falls from thousands. | | How likely are you to survive a shark attack? | Very likely — of roughly 60 to 80 unprovoked bites worldwide each year, fewer than ten are fatal. | | What happens if you fall into lava? | You would not sink — lava is about three times denser than a body — but you would not survive the heat either. | | What should you do if you are caught in a rip current? | Rips pull you out, not under. Swim parallel to the beach until you are out of the flow, then come in. | | Could you survive inside a whale? | You cannot be swallowed by almost any whale — their throats are too narrow — and a stomach offers no air. | | How long do you have to escape a burning house? | Around three minutes from the alarm sounding in a modern furnished home. | | Can you survive a tsunami? | Yes, by moving inland and uphill immediately — 30 centimetres of moving water can knock an adult off their feet. | | How long can you survive in a sealed container? | Carbon dioxide becomes dangerous long before oxygen runs out — a few hours in a cubic metre of air. | | How long can you survive buried in an avalanche? | Around 90 per cent survive if dug out within 15 minutes; by 35 minutes it has fallen to roughly 30 per cent. | | How long can you survive falling through ice? | The first minute of cold shock is the dangerous part; roughly ten minutes of useful movement follow, then up to an hour. | | How do you survive a tornado? | Get to the lowest interior room with the most walls between you and outside — most injuries are from flying debris. | | What speed of car crash can you survive? | Modern cars are designed around a 64 km/h frontal impact — and for a pedestrian, 30 km/h versus 50 km/h changes almost everything. | | How long could someone survive buried alive? | One to a few hours in a sealed coffin, limited by carbon dioxide rather than oxygen. | | How long can you survive lost in the woods? | Days to weeks in temperate forest with water — exposure, not hunger, is what ends most cases. | | How long can someone survive trapped under rubble? | Most live rescues happen in the first 24 hours, but people have been pulled out alive after two weeks. | | Can you survive a bear attack? | Almost always — fatal bear attacks in North America run to a handful a year across the whole continent. | | How long can you survive locked in a walk-in freezer? | A few hours in ordinary clothing at -20 °C, and longer with insulation from the floor. | | How long can you survive trapped in a mine? | With air and water, months — thirty-three Chilean miners survived 69 days underground in 2010. | - [Can you survive a plane crash?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/plane-crash/) — Usually — across all US airline accidents studied, more than 95 per cent of occupants survived. - [How long do you have to escape a sinking car?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/sinking-car/) — Usually 30 seconds to a couple of minutes of floating — and the window is the way out, not the door. - [Can quicksand pull you under?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/quicksand/) — No. Quicksand is roughly twice as dense as a human body, so you float — you sink to about waist depth and stop. - [How far from a nuclear blast do you have to be to survive?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/nuclear-blast/) — It scales with yield: for a one-megaton airburst, survival is unlikely within about 5 km and likely beyond about 10-12 km. - [How long can you survive in a hot car?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/hot-car/) — Under an hour on a warm day for a child — the interior gains about 20 °C in the first ten minutes. - [How long does it take to drown?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/drowning/) — Under a minute to lose consciousness — and it is almost silent, which is why so many drownings happen in sight of others. - [What happens if a lift cable snaps?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/falling-lift/) — Essentially nothing — lifts hang from multiple ropes and have a speed-triggered brake that grips the rails. - [What height can you survive falling from?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/falling-from-height/) — Survival is common below about 6 metres and rare above 20 — but people have survived falls from thousands. - [How likely are you to survive a shark attack?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/shark-attack/) — Very likely — of roughly 60 to 80 unprovoked bites worldwide each year, fewer than ten are fatal. - [What happens if you fall into lava?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/falling-into-lava/) — You would not sink — lava is about three times denser than a body — but you would not survive the heat either. - [What should you do if you are caught in a rip current?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/rip-current/) — Rips pull you out, not under. Swim parallel to the beach until you are out of the flow, then come in. - [Could you survive inside a whale?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/inside-a-whale/) — You cannot be swallowed by almost any whale — their throats are too narrow — and a stomach offers no air. - [How long do you have to escape a burning house?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/house-fire/) — Around three minutes from the alarm sounding in a modern furnished home. - [Can you survive a tsunami?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/tsunami/) — Yes, by moving inland and uphill immediately — 30 centimetres of moving water can knock an adult off their feet. - [How long can you survive in a sealed container?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/sealed-container/) — Carbon dioxide becomes dangerous long before oxygen runs out — a few hours in a cubic metre of air. - [How long can you survive buried in an avalanche?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/avalanche/) — Around 90 per cent survive if dug out within 15 minutes; by 35 minutes it has fallen to roughly 30 per cent. - [How long can you survive falling through ice?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/falling-through-ice/) — The first minute of cold shock is the dangerous part; roughly ten minutes of useful movement follow, then up to an hour. - [How do you survive a tornado?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/tornado/) — Get to the lowest interior room with the most walls between you and outside — most injuries are from flying debris. - [What speed of car crash can you survive?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/car-crash/) — Modern cars are designed around a 64 km/h frontal impact — and for a pedestrian, 30 km/h versus 50 km/h changes almost everything. - [How long could someone survive buried alive?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/buried-alive/) — One to a few hours in a sealed coffin, limited by carbon dioxide rather than oxygen. - [How long can you survive lost in the woods?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/lost-in-the-woods/) — Days to weeks in temperate forest with water — exposure, not hunger, is what ends most cases. - [How long can someone survive trapped under rubble?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/trapped-in-rubble/) — Most live rescues happen in the first 24 hours, but people have been pulled out alive after two weeks. - [Can you survive a bear attack?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/bear-attack/) — Almost always — fatal bear attacks in North America run to a handful a year across the whole continent. - [How long can you survive locked in a walk-in freezer?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/walk-in-freezer/) — A few hours in ordinary clothing at -20 °C, and longer with insulation from the floor. - [How long can you survive trapped in a mine?](https://atoneplace.net/could-you-survive/trapped-in-a-mine/) — With air and water, months — thirty-three Chilean miners survived 69 days underground in 2010.