Because of the small deformation area, side impacts are among the most dangerous in terms of injury to the driver and passengers.
This is due to the fact that seat belts protect against sudden forward and upward movements. Seats with pronounced lateral support are good at securing the body, but they do not prevent it from moving inside the cabin.
It is important to have a clear idea of how to behave in such cases, because this knowledge will help save health and life. On the basis of collective and my own experience I will try to understand this emergency situation, to determine the most effective actions of the driver and passengers.
Imagine that you are sitting inside a seat that rigidly secures your body. You notice the danger from the side. You are seconds away from a brutal collision. In such situations, it is important not to lose your composure, to act quickly in an appropriate manner.
The driver and passengers should behave by adhering to the following algorithm:
Press your chin firmly against your sternum, squeeze your eyes shut. This will save your cervical vertebrae and eyesight.
Do not hold on to the handles on the ceiling, doors, or your chair. If the impact is on your side, it may jam your arm.
With your arms crossed over your chest, regroup.
If you are sitting in the front seat, put your feet up with your feet out in front of the seat.
If you are in the back seat, use your seat belts and do not hold on to the door and ceiling handles.
Use the backrest of the front seat as a support.
Practice these postures continually until they become automatic.
Such situations are caused by violations of traffic rules, such as improper passing at intersections, exceeding the speed limit when making a turn, and skidding the vehicle.
To avoid a side-impact accident when passing an intersection, follow the following rules:
Maintain caution and concentration throughout your drive through the intersection;
Do not try to skip at a yellow or flashing traffic light;
If you notice not moving by the rules - it is better to pass, remembering about an unspoken rule "give the way to the fool";
move only on a green light, having made sure of absence of movement in the perpendicular direction;
If a side collision accident is inevitable, try to put the front or rear of the car under the impact, using the brake or gas.
When making a turn at high speed, the possibility of skidding increases:
In such situations, if there is no way to reduce speed sharply, the best thing to do is to pull off the road with the front side or the trunk.
If the skid is uncontrollable, use the brakes, accelerator pedal, and steering wheel to help the vehicle turn around.
It is important to remember that a rear-end collision is the safest option for a prepared driver. If you go off the road in front or back, the probability of overturning is reduced to a minimum.
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