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Personal Injury Lawyer
A head-on motor vehicle collision can be disastrous. But, if you are going to be anywhere within the vehicle during a head-on crash, the front seat may be the safest place to be. Automotive safety innovations such as front airbags and sophisticated seat belts may cause it to be safer for individuals seated in the front seat during a head-on collision.
In a head-on collision, travelers in the front seat benefit from inflatable airbags in front of them and seat belts that tighten before a crash while allowing sufficient space to mitigate injury. In the rear seat, the are no airbags to the front of the passengers, and the backseat belts generally lack advanced restraints such as force limiters and crash tensioners. During impact, the force of the collision can lead to backseat passengers colliding with the vehicle’s interior. Additionally, seat belts lacking force limiters can more easily inflict chest injuries.
Backseat Safety in Motor Vehicles
Studies suggest that the backseat of vehicles should have more advanced restraint systems. Until that time, sitting in the back seat may increase your risk of suffering from severe or fatal injuries. Injuries to the chest are common when people are sitting in the backseat during crashes. Automakers may have paid less attention to the safety of those passengers.
The matter of backseat safety is a significant and growing concern. With the use of ride-share services such as Lyft and Uber increasing, more people are occupying the backseat of vehicles.
Regardless of where you sit when traveling in a vehicle, injuries are likely to happen. If you are injured due to the wrongful conduct or negligence of another party, you might be entitled to receive compensation for your medical bills, lost earnings, and other accident-related losses.
Assessing Safety
Despite implications that passengers may be safer in the front seats of vehicles during a collision, some experts continue to recommend that children be strapped into car seats in the backseat. In the front, they contend, airbags pose a more significant threat of injury. Indeed, properly installed child safety seats in rear seats are quite reliable. However, Indications are that a better job needs to be done restraining adults and older children in the backseat.
As for chest injuries due to poor restraint performance in the back, they can likely be avoided by inflatable seat belts (some automakers currently provide these). Head injuries are the next most common injury. The force of an impact can cause the head to collide with the backs of front seats or other interior parts of the vehicle. This could be lessened by seat belts with crash tensioners, as these devices hold vehicle occupants firmly against their seat at the onset of and throughout the crash.
Using Restraints is the Safest
Seat belts and child-appropriate car seats are thought to be the best way occupants could protect themselves and their children in the event of a vehicle accident. If you have been seriously injured in an accident caused by another motorist, a personal injury attorneys at Joye can review your situation and discuss your legal rights. Call today to learn how a car accident lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT can help.
Thanks to Rasmussen & Miner for their insight into personal injury claims and head-on collisions.
