An emergency hammer is a safety device used in vehicles to break through window glass in an emergency.
It is a simple tool with a plastic handles and steel tip. Its primary use is for breaking through vehicle windows, which are often tempered, in the event of a crash which prevents exit through the doors. They are commonly found on public transport, in particular trains and buses. The example pictured also illustrates a cutting tool at the other end of the hammer. This is used for cutting through seatbelts in the event that they are inhibiting a passengers exit.
Emergency hammers are also known as bus mallets, dotty hammers, safety mallets, and bus hammers. Most emergency hammers are attached to a cable or an alarm device to deter theft or misuse.
Emergency hammers can be purchased by consumers to store in their personal vehicles to provide a means of escape should the doors become unusable, such as in a collision or if the vehicle falls into water and is sinking.
Famous quotes containing the words emergency and/or hammer:
“In this country, you never pull the emergency brake, even when there is an emergency. It is imperative that the trains run on schedule.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)
“This Administration has declared unconditional war on poverty and I have come here this morning to ask all of you to enlist as volunteers. Members of all parties are welcome to our tent. Members of all races ought to be there. Members of all religions should come and help us now to strike the hammer of truth against the anvil of public opinion again and again until the ears of this Nation are open, until the hearts of this Nation are touched, and until the conscience of America is awakened.”
—Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908–1973)