Over the past couple of decades, cars have become much safer.  Engineers have introduced designs and safety equipment that make survival of a collision much more likely.  Gone are the days of laps belts and metal dashboards.  However, we as drivers may need adapt our driving styles and habits so that new safety devices don’t become mechanisms of injury.

Federal legislation in 1991 made front seat airbags standard in all cars and light trucks effective September 1, 1998.  Of course, airbags were optional in cars before that time, and most people – unless you drive a classic car – have them in their cars.  Those of us, however, who took Driver’s Ed before 1990 were never taught to drive with an airbag in the steering wheel.  Holding the wheel in the 10:00 and 2:00 position (each hand holding the wheel above the median) is not safe if the airbag deploys.  In the 10 and 2 position your arms are in the line of fire from the airbag which inflates at a rate of 100 to 200 mph.  You should also not hold the wheel at the top.  If the airbag deploys it would cause your arm to hit your head potentially resulting in a broken arm and a concussion.

Drivers should also sit at least 10 inches from the steering wheel.  It is very important that the airbag have time to inflate before you hit it.  Sitting too close when the airbag deploys can result in facial injury and burns.  Airbags are designed to be used in conjunction with safety belts.  In a collision, a properly worn safety belt keeps the driver or passenger from moving forward and closing the distance between themselves and the deploying airbag.

Lastly, watch your thumbs.  Don’t put your thumbs on the inside of the wheel as you drive.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports amputations of fingers or hands from deploying airbags.

The head rest is not just there to help you be comfortable.  If properly adjusted, it will reduce your risk of whiplash.  AAA advises its members that the headrest should be adjusted so that the top of the headrest is slightly above your ears and within 3 inches of the back of your head.

Never ride with your feet on the dashboard.  You may think you have lightening quick reflexes, but you are no match for the deploying airbag.  In a crash, there is no time to put your leg down.  The deploying airbag can push your leg toward you resulting in torn muscles and ligaments, potential nerve damage, and injuries to your face.  Imagine your foot breaking your nose!

It is also important to make sure you are properly behind the safety belt.  The lab belt should fit snuggly across the hips.  It is never safe to just use the lab belt.  There is a reason why the federal government started requiring them in most new cars in 1968.  Never put the shoulder belt behind your back or under your arm.  In a collision, this can result in severe abdominal injury.  Adjust the should harness so the belt is across your chest, not your neck.  According to NHTSA safety belts, when used properly, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat passenger car occupants by 45% and the risk of moderate to critical injury by 50%.  In 2014, seat belts saved an estimated 12,802 lives.  Those odds are worth a few wrinkles in your shirt.

While safety belts save lives, they can result in other injuries.  Sternum bruising after a collision is common and relatively minor.  A more serious injury can occur in women.  Women can receive injures to their breasts from a seat belt.   Breast trauma from a crash can result in intra-mammary bleeding which, while rare, can be life threatening.   Always wear a properly adjusted safety belt, but If you have breast trauma from a crash, seek medical attention.

Hopefully this information helps you in the event of a collision.  If you do suffer injury as a result of a collision, contact Gump and Faiella for a free consultation. 800-264-3455 or visit us at tgflaw.com

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