Resqme car emergency escape kit on a keychain

Tiny, life-saving device to break windows and slice seatbelts

Published: November 07, 2013 04:00 PM

Don't let its festive selection of colors and tiny size fool you: The Resqme is a serious emergency escape kit that doubles as a keychain.

Designed to help drivers get themselves out of a sinking vehicle or one they find themselves stuck in following a crash, the Resqme features a cutting blade sharp enough to slice through seat belts and a spring loaded spike capable of shattering windows.

For all its might, the Resqme weighs less than two ounces and is barely larger than a car key. Some recent media accounts of tragic car entrapments came to mind as we discovered this small, emergency tool at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.

Available at a wide variety of outlets including hardware, convenience, auto parts, and department stores, Resqme comes in assorted colors and costs less than $10.

If you buy one, be sure it is either used as a keychain or firmly mounted where the driver can access, should the car rollover.

See our recommendations for a car emergency kit, and our guide to winter driving.

—Jim Travers