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Video: How to escape after your car crashes into a retention pond

RELATED: Two women found dead in car that crashed into Starke pond 

Florida leads the country in the number of traffic drowning deaths.

Each year there are about 1,200 to 1,500 submerged vehicle incidents in the U.S. with about 400 to 600 resulting in death.

Action News reporter Amanda Warford finds out how others can have a fighting chance at getting out alive.

"The thought of being trapped inside a sinking car is terrifying," Warford said.

It can take about 60 seconds for a car to nearly disappear under water and hundreds of drivers every year face this terrifying race against the clock.

In January, rescuers desperately tried to save Dorothy McCreery, 72, as her car sank into a Ponte Vedra drainage canal. Two weeks later, Douha Honor lost control of her car in Oakleaf. She was on the phone with her cousin, panicked, as the water poured in.

t's a situation that could happen to anyone.

David Scoggins is a former firefighter, who now trains rescue divers across the country. Scoggins agreed to be part of a demonstration with Warford behind the wheel to find out how to improve your odds of getting out.

Action News took an old Nissan Altima -- drained of oil and fluids -- and hooked it to the back of a tow truck right next to a large local retention pond.

Scoggins said the first thing to do is to start rolling down the window and undo your seatbelt. He said there will be water coming in, but you can pull past it.

Marshal Adkison, of Adkison Towing, is also a diver, who helps local law enforcement in emergency rescues and recoveries. He said a car battery can last for several minutes under water, but every situation is different.

A window can also be broken if it won't go down. Just make sure you clear the window and hit it in the dead center. Once it is broken, it is important to use the tool to clear the bottom before you have to start climbing out of the vehicle.

The Federal Government has proposed in 2014 to mandate that side door windows be constructed of laminated glass instead of tempered glass. However, this would prohibit the ability for people to escape their vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed a safety standard that would to stronger glass being used on side windows. But, the NHTSA has only done one internal vehicle submission study.

Preparation and speed, both Adkison and Scoggins said that’s what makes the difference, when you have only seconds to escape.