Traveling with your feet on the dashboard It is a practice as dangerous as it is widespread. For years, organizations like RACE or Goodyear have been trying to raise awareness about the risks that this irresponsible behavior entails, and other bad habits in the car, but unfortunately it is still a current problem today.
According to the compelling data from this study, if the co-pilot travels with his feet placed on the dashboard, in the event of a frontal impact at only 56 km/h, the wheel dummy It suffers such intense compression that it exceeds twice the limit tolerated by a person. That translates into high probability of dying as a result of the accident.
The consequences of traveling with your feet on the dashboard summarized in one image
In addition to the data from the RACE study or other similarand the videos of crashes with dummies that show the devastating consequences that the co-pilot can suffer in the event of an accident due to having his feet on the dashboard, there are real images that leave no room for doubt.
One of the most shocking was shared in 2020 by a police officer from Dyfed-Powys, in Wales, in what was his own profile on the social network ‘X’, formerly Twitter.
The message of this image was so shocking that it soon went viral: it was a real X-ray that showed a pelvis completely destroyed after a road accident. According to the agent, the image belonged to the passenger of a vehicle who was traveling in the front seat with feet resting on the dashboard at the time of the collision.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
The dangers of traveling with your feet on the dashboard.
Gracias @VdeVeroReal for sharing.#RoadSafety https://t.co/h711dLK1NZ— Dir. Gral. Traffic (@DGTes) January 28, 2020
“Here is an x-ray of horrible injuries suffered by a front seat passenger who had his feet on the dashboard at the time of a collision,” read the original image, which was later disseminated by various health workers around the world and even by the DGT itself.
In fact, at the time the image was first shared by an ambulance service in Wales, as the agent explained at the time, “with the aim of raising awareness and preventing harm to other passengers who have the bad habit of putting their feet on the dashboard.”
According to the image, the impact must have been so strong that the right hip joint ended up broken and the femur ended up tearing the skin, possibly due to the impact of the airbag. Apparently, the victim was not older than 10 years. “If your passenger does it, maybe you should stop driving and teach him this,” the agent then sentenced Ian Price.
In addition to these injuries, due to the videos made with the dummys, we must bear in mind that when the passenger has his feet on the dashboard, in the event of a collision his head may also hit his legs, while they impact the front window.
Traveling with your feet on the dashboard reduces the effectiveness of the #belt. It is even possible, due to the so-called ‘submarine effect’, for the passenger to slide underneath.
Furthermore, if you jump the #airbag due to a crash, it can cause injuries to legs and joints. #SitWell pic.twitter.com/S5VypXHshF
— Dir. Gral. Traffic (@DGTes) October 27, 2020
And it is that This position reduces the effectiveness of the belt and, due to the so-called ‘submarine effect’, it is possible for the passenger to slide underneath it. Thus, breaking your nose with your own leg will be another possibility.
Although the penalty is the least important thing, we must remember that in Spain traveling in a vehicle with your feet on the dashboard implies a fine of up to 100 euros, without loss of points. And the DGT’s drones and helicopters can capture this type of imprudence with complete clarity.
Source: www.motorpasion.com
