Passengers’ feet on the dashboard have often been used as a show of hitting the road, relaxed and carefree.
But is it advisable to do that from a safety perspective?
It isn’t.
After an accident, the airbags are released in split seconds. These airbags move as fast as 300km/hr making them a danger to your life when your feet are on the dashboard.
The vehicle structure, seat belts, and airbags are all designed with safety in mind. When you invent new sitting positions in the car, you put yourself in harm’s way.
So the next time you are in a moving car and you think of putting your feet on the dashboard, consider the reasons you shouldn’t.
- Accidents Don’t Have Warnings
Accidents are unpredictable, but we often forget that they happen and that there’s never a warning. It should come as a no-brainer, but you may fail to pay heed due to the supposedly “harmless” car riding habits.
Sure, you may observe safe driving habits like avoiding drunk driving, keeping to speed limits, and wearing a seat belt. Still, you can get in an accident, at fault or not — as a side note; you shouldn’t suffer damages for an accident where you’re not at fault. You have legal options.
You may put your feet on the dashboard because it’s cool, or you are tired after a long journey and want to stretch.
However, what you haven’t thought about is that your action puts you at risk if something bad happens, like a reckless driver ramming into your car.
The best preparation for such a scenario is to assume that anything can happen on the road and that you need to be alert at all times. If the journey is long, it won’t hurt to take a short 5-10 minutes break along the road for a stretch.
- Unsafe Airbag
The airbag is not just useless when used in the wrong way. It becomes a weapon.
After the collision, the airbag release speed is as high as 300km/hr. This instant release and speed are meant to cushion your body from the impact of the collision.
But the significant force can cause severe damage to your body when you are incorrectly positioned in the car. For your safety, the legs and arms should not be in the direct line of the airbag when it’s discharged.
If your leg is resting on the dashboard when the airbag is released, your leg will be propelled backward at high speed crushing multiple bones.
- Seatbelt-Airbag Combo Won’t Work
Whenever you adjust your sitting position to something new that wasn’t part of car safety design, most safety features won’t work in your favor.
Your feet on the dashboard makes the seatbelt useless and uncomfortable.
Instead of protecting you by keeping you in the seat, the seat best may contribute to your injuries because it wasn’t holding your body correctly.
You see, the designs of the seat belt and the airbags are meant to work together to keep you safe.
The airbags will work better to your advantage when sitting upright, feet down, and centered on your seat. The same applies to the three-point seat belt that has to go through your waist and chest to hold you back against the seat as the airbags are released. This makes sure you are sandwiched between the seat fabric and the airbags.
But your safety is compromised when an accident occurs, and your body isn’t positioned correctly in the seatbelt.
- Rollovers Become Lethal
Most auto accidents don’t result in rollovers, but when they happen, they are responsible for severe injuries and fatalities.
You’ve seen several wrecks after a rollover and wondered how someone survived them. What increases your chances of survival after a rollover are safety measures like the seatbelt and proper sitting position.
The normal sitting position keeps your legs, chest, and lower body in safety zones within the car as it rolls.
Final Thoughts
Vehicles are only safe when you use them with care, understanding the amount of damage they can cause.
When an accident happens, the chances of injuries are high even when you’re doing everything right. Imagine what happens when you don’t have a seat belt on or when you’re not sitting properly.
Putting your feet on the dashboard significantly increases the chances of severe injury and death.
If you’re putting yourself in harm’s way without knowing, hopefully, this post has shown you reasons you should never put your feet on the dashboard.
