Motor Vehicle Crash Myths
"I can't be injured because there isn't that much damage to my vehicle."
This
is a myth. It is usually misunderstood that a lack of property damage
to vehicle equates to little or no bodily injury. It is not the speed
of the oncoming vehicle that determines the amount of injury occurs,
but the change of speed that occurs in a person's head, neck and body.
This can be affected by numerous factors such as the seat back, head
restraints, bumper and vehicle size. Scientific research performed on
live human test subjects by the Spine Research Institute of San Diego
have shown that low speed rear impact collisions can cause whiplash
injury even without any visible property damage. This has been
documented with compelling video footage. Many rear bumpers have been
designed to withstand an impact of 5 to 10 mph without showing any
cosmetic damage.
"I'm safe because I drive a big SUV."
There
is some bit of truth to this statement, but it is still a myth. Yes, a
larger vehicle is safer because there is more room to crush and crumple
than in a smaller vehicle. Therefore an occupant will absorb less
energy from the collision than if they were in a small vehicle. The
aspect of larger SUV type vehicles that is less safe is their reduced
maneuverability and braking ability. Because of their larger size and
weight, it is more difficult to evade a dangerous situation and avoid a
crash. There is also the increased risk of rollovers with SUVs and
larger vehicles because of their higher profile and stance off the
ground.
"I don't need to wear a seat belt, because my airbags will protect me."
This
is definitely a myth. Many fatal crashes occur at lower speeds and
airbags usually deploy at higher speeds. Therefore, if you're not
wearing a seat belt, you're leaving yourself unprotected. Airbags alone
are only 12% effective. Seat belts alone are 42% effective and airbags
with seat belts are 47% effective. You can see that much of the safety
lies with the use of the seat belt. The safest place to be during a
crash is sitting securely in your seat.