Abstract: Combined vehicle vent and escape hatch having a frame bounding a roof opening, a cover hingedly connected to opposite sides of the frame by hinge brackets for limited venting movement relative to one or more of the sides, one of the brackets being separable into cover and frame parts and normally prevented from separating by a cammable release rod engaging the cover part and a frame-backed movable stop plate backing the rod, and an emergency button instanding from the cover and when pushed operative to project the cover from all of said sides to full venting position and separate the parts of the separable bracket for enabling the cover, as an escape hatch, to be swung about the opposite bracket to open position. For extending the service life of the combined vent and hatch, an inner panel of the cover is backed by a rigid metal backup plate on which, for relieving the panel of stress, are hung the operating parts attached to the cover.