Is the Back Seat Really the Safest Place in a Car Accident?

For a long time, it was pretty much taken for granted that the back seat of a car is the safest place if you are ever in a car accident. But, as an article in The New York Times explains, that might not be the case anymore. According to the report, advances in seatbelt technology have been slow to make it to the back seat. So, safety researchers now have new recommendations about what vehicles to buy and where to sit, as well as tips on the cars that have rear seats equipped with the kind of sophisticated seatbelts – similar to those protecting front-seat riders for nearly 10 years.
Evolution of Seatbelt Technology
These are seatbelts that tighten up when sensors detect a crash is imminent. They also can loosen a bit if the occupant is pressing so hard against the belt that the seatbelt itself might cause an injury. If belts with better technology are not available in the back seat, people 55 and older should sit in the front of newer vehicles with those more sophisticated belts, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends.
Researchers say seatbelts in most rear seats don’t have what are called “load limiters,” which means they can’t loosen up. So, in a frontal crash, the belt itself can cause injuries to the chest, abdomen or spine, according to a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Researchers looked into frontal crashes that seriously or fatally injured 117 rear-seat occupants between the ages of 6 and 92. They found that passengers from all age groups had suffered significant chest injuries from the forces of the crash.
Still, researchers say, even those improved rear-seat seatbelts are only considered a minimum level of protection. They say more improvements are needed especially because the rear seat is more likely to be occupied by older adults, children or those using rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft. In addition, the safety of the back seat may become even more important with the advent of driverless cars. Researchers say children under 13 should still sit in the back because airbag deployment may leave kids seriously injured.
If You Have Been Injured
Despite the precautions we take and the safety devices we now have in vehicles such as seatbelts and airbags, car accidents have the potential to result in major if not life threatening injuries. Some of the common types of injuries suffered in car accidents include, but are not limited to, brain injuries, spinal cord damage, internal organ trauma, broken bones, amputations, etc.
If you have been injured in a car accident, there are a number of steps you would be well advised to take in order to protect your rights. First, file a police report and obtain a copy for your records. Your car accident lawyer can also help you obtain a copy. Get prompt medical attention and treatment for your injuries. Obtain as much evidence as possible from the scene of the accident including photos, video, contact information for witnesses, etc. Save all receipts and documentation relating to the accident and your injuries. Do not enter into any agreement without first discussing it with your personal injury lawyer.
Contacting an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent or careless driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 49 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole. Also, one of our clients obtained a verdict for $43,940,000 and another of our clients got a verdict for $23,500,000, both in medical malpractice cases.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury and medical malpractice cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/business/seatbelts-back-seat-safety.html