Putting Feet And Knees Up In A Vehicle Is Very Dangerous

Ever see someone in the front seat, either as a driver or a passenger, and they have their foot up on the dashboard, or maybe their foot up on the seat itself with their knee bent? It seems like a comfortable way to travel, and can be especially tempting on longer car rides. But before you think about kicking back that way when in the front seat of a car—you could be taking a real safety risk.

Research Shows a Serious Injury Risk

Researchers wanted to know if the positioning of the human body in either of those situations causes an increased risk of injury in a standard car accident.

And based on the results of testing with crash test dummies, it turns out, people in these positions face serious injury—more so than they would have had they just been seated normally (and seatbelted).

Why the Injury Risk is So Severe

The problem is twofold. The first problem is one you may anticipate: that if the interior of the car collapses in, even just a bit, it can cause serious damage, because a part of your body—your leg or knee—is now closer to the dashboard or steering wheel of the vehicle.

But the second potential safety hazard is one many people may not think about: the airbag. An airbag deploys with such force that it can push a human knee into your head and skull with enough force to cause skull fractures—and that’s aside from the damage to your leg or knee itself.

You (that is, your knee and leg in the upright position) can crush eye sockets, knock out teeth, and damage jaws, the force is so powerful. There are cases where people’s leg bones were pushed upwards into their hips and pelvic bones.

By some statistics and government studies, of all the people who were killed in part by an airbag, about 80% of them were not seated properly in their seat when the airbag deployed.

Bad Body Positioning

And that’s not all. Because people who sit in these positions aren’t in a standard seated position, the seat belt cannot operate the way it’s supposed to operate. The body often slides too far downward, or is sitting too far upright. The result can be damage to bowels or damage to the lower back.

It’s not a stretch to say that the difference in injury between those who are seated properly, and those who sit with legs or feet up on dashboards and seats, is a stark, dramatic difference.

The Jury Can Blame You

Not only will there be a difference in your injury, but there will be a difference in your case as well.

A jury can take into account the way you were seated, and say that you were in full or in part responsible for your own injuries, because of the way that you were seated in the vehicle. This can mean a reduced recovery from a jury—or a jury denying you the right to recover compensation or your injuries at all.

Don’t let an insurance company blame you for your own accident or injury. FIght back. Contact our Rhode Island injury lawyers at Robert E. Craven & Associates at 401-453-2700 today.

Sources:

mynrma.com.au/cars-and-driving/driver-training-and-licences/resources/feet-on-dash

autoblog.com/2020/01/27/x-ray-injuries-feet-on-car-dashboard/