With the holiday fast approaching, you might already be planning a good old-fashioned road trip to spend Thanksgiving or Christmas with family. If so, you’re not the only one: Over 100 million Americans are also expected to hit the roads this holiday season. Naturally, having that many cars on the road at one time leads to an increased number of car accidents, and there’s one safety device that first responders recommend you keep in your vehicle at all times—just in case you find yourself in an emergency.
That tool is a car window breaker. This palm-sized gadget has a sharp spike on one end that’s capable of shattering thick auto glass. Luckily, these potentially life-saving devices are pretty affordable—we even found a two-pack of these hammer tools on sale for just $9 during Amazon Prime Big Deal Days. At that price, you have no excuse not to include it on your road trip packing list.
Sinsen Car Safety Hammer Tool 2-Pack
Amazon
The Sinsen Hammer Tool measures about 7.5 inches long by three inches wide, so it’s small enough to fit inside a center console or glove compartment. Wherever you choose to keep it in your car, however, you’ll want to make sure it’s always within your reach in case of an emergency. The device comes in bright colors like orange and glow-in-the-dark green, so you’ll be able to quickly find it at a moment’s notice.
The head of it has a double-sided, conical spike that’s shaped similarly to the pointy side of a mattock (but on a much smaller scale). It’s made of heavy-duty carbon steel that can reportedly shatter tempered car window glass in one quick hit. You don’t need Arnold Schwarzenegger-level strength to use it—just aim the pointed end of the hammer toward the corner of a side window, where the glass is weakest, and tap. On the other end of the handle is a razor-sharp seatbelt cutter shielded by protective plastic, so you can vacate your seat in an instant.
Sinsen Car Safety Hammer Tool 2-Pack
Amazon
Unlike other window breaker tools, this Sinsen Safety Hammer has a fixed head rather than a single spring-loaded spike that you deploy with a button. Reviewers say that this feature makes them feel more secure, since the design has fewer individual pieces that could break or malfunction. “I believe that these are a more reliable choice,” one wrote.
It can be used for a number of emergency situations, like getting out of a car that’s submerged in water, or escaping a vehicle fire. Many Amazon reviewers shared the harrowing accidents that motivated them to finally buy one, including a car rolling off a ferry and a rollover accident with kids in the backseat. One recalled a local accident in which the car ignited. “No one could help him, but he could,” they wrote. “Thankfully, he had a similar tool and was able to rescue himself.”
As a former police officer said in one of the reviews, “a tool like this could come in handy for yourself or someone else. And it’s better to be prepared and have it than be in a situation (where) you wish you had one.”
Be prepared for holiday road trips and every ride you take with this $9 emergency rescue device. We compiled more safety items on sale for Amazon Prime Big Deal Daysfrom a portable door lock to a battery jump starter, below.
More Safety Devices on Sale:
AceMining Portable Door Lock
Amazon
HerTime2 Personal Safety Alarm
Amazon
Stdy Car Roadside Emergency Kit
Amazon
Hpbs Portable Jump Starter
Amazon
Master Lock Portable Lock Box
Amazon
At the time of publishing, the price started at $9.
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