Brace before impact...!
Discussion
When I crashed I kept my arms in the same position I had for driving. i.e. arms out and firm, but not locked (bent at the elbows). I've no idea as to whether or not this is best or not, but the injuries weren't too bad considering.
The problem is 3-point seatbelts will force you to twist anyway, and the impacts can be at a g-force you don't have a hope in hell of resisting. The result is (assuming you're in the driver's seat) is that you will be restrained on your top right so that shoulder and arm will be fine, but you will rotate around the diagonal of the seatbelt. Your left shoulder, arm and hand will then be thrust forward into the steering wheel (assuming you're still gripping that) and forces will travel through the wrist and elbow. If your elbow is locked out at this point I imagine that will suffer some serious damage but I'm not a doctor.
Additionally as you're restrained on only the right a lot of pressure/force is put onto the right side of your rib-cage and break the sternum (it's only cartiledge (sp?) anyway).
In a straight head on situation with the above happening, I would suggest floppy & hands off the wheel if you want to save your arms, locked out if you want to save your sternum, but probably the natural driving position is the safest all round.
Unless you've got a 4/5 point harness in which case just let go of everthing, and let the harness do the work.
The problem is 3-point seatbelts will force you to twist anyway, and the impacts can be at a g-force you don't have a hope in hell of resisting. The result is (assuming you're in the driver's seat) is that you will be restrained on your top right so that shoulder and arm will be fine, but you will rotate around the diagonal of the seatbelt. Your left shoulder, arm and hand will then be thrust forward into the steering wheel (assuming you're still gripping that) and forces will travel through the wrist and elbow. If your elbow is locked out at this point I imagine that will suffer some serious damage but I'm not a doctor.
Additionally as you're restrained on only the right a lot of pressure/force is put onto the right side of your rib-cage and break the sternum (it's only cartiledge (sp?) anyway).
In a straight head on situation with the above happening, I would suggest floppy & hands off the wheel if you want to save your arms, locked out if you want to save your sternum, but probably the natural driving position is the safest all round.
Unless you've got a 4/5 point harness in which case just let go of everthing, and let the harness do the work.
From personal experience () It'd be best not to be holding anything. I broke a left wrist (from the steering wheel), left index finger (ditto) right heel (from having foot down close to the footwell) and right collarbone (can only assume from the seatbelt) and that was with an airbag that fired.
I've seen a couple of accidents in rallying where the driver has known he's a passenger a long way back and has taken his hands off the wheel and crossed them over his chest before the accident. Given the force that may come through the steering it seems quite sensible.
I've seen a couple of accidents in rallying where the driver has known he's a passenger a long way back and has taken his hands off the wheel and crossed them over his chest before the accident. Given the force that may come through the steering it seems quite sensible.
I used to work at a karting track many years ago and the only injury I ever witnessed was someone getting confused with the pedals and driving head on into the tyre barriers with their foot jammed onto the accelerator. They suffered either a dislocated knee or hip - can't remember now.
The marshalls expected to just pull them back onto the track and push them off as the impact wasn't particularly hard - everyday type stuff.
The marshalls expected to just pull them back onto the track and push them off as the impact wasn't particularly hard - everyday type stuff.
dave9 said:
floppy - that's why babies often survive unhurt
Yeah there's been a couple of big airline disasters where the only survivor was a baby.For scenario where a captain knows he's gonna hit the terrain and can prepare, I wonder if they just gave everyone a fk off sedative before impact you'd see more survivors?
Liquid Knight said:
Oh and another thing don't ever drive whilst wearing a baseball cap. The peak gets hit by the airbag first snapping your head back so hard you'll be luck if it doesn't break your neck.
Fixed that for you in order to offer sartorial advice as well as road safety top tips.I sadly managed to crash my pride and joy a couple of years ago. It ended up being head on into a wall. At the time of impact, I was still subconciously trying to brake and recover the car, so I had my hands still on the wheel. If memory serves (from photos), the skid marks stopped before hitting the wall, so my foot must have been off the pedal. I was strapped into Recaros with four point harnesses.
The impact wasn't the biggest out there, but it was enough so that the engine was on the floor (this was an Evo 6). I came out with no injuries at all. I think I was blacked out at the time of impact (because I don't remember much), so this may have made me relax a little.
The next day was a different matter. Woke up feeling stiff and gradually got worse. Peaked about 1PM where I couldn't move! Better than being in the hospital with broken limbs though!
Oh, there was no airbag and also, I 'submarined' within the harness, so I will always buy a 5 or 6 point from now on! If the bulkhead had come in, both my legs would have been smashed.
The impact wasn't the biggest out there, but it was enough so that the engine was on the floor (this was an Evo 6). I came out with no injuries at all. I think I was blacked out at the time of impact (because I don't remember much), so this may have made me relax a little.
The next day was a different matter. Woke up feeling stiff and gradually got worse. Peaked about 1PM where I couldn't move! Better than being in the hospital with broken limbs though!
Oh, there was no airbag and also, I 'submarined' within the harness, so I will always buy a 5 or 6 point from now on! If the bulkhead had come in, both my legs would have been smashed.
Liquid Knight said:
Gwagon111 said:
I had a big head on, five years ago. I braced like a goodun, tucked my chin in, arms locked straight. It still hurt, but I think it would've been much worse,
Air bag impacted your forehead and the resulting force would throw your head back, the more resistance you offered the harder the force applied. The first time I was in a head on colision a driver decided to overtake on a blind bend I braced myself and got a concusion, whiplash and a broken wrist. The second time (as a passenger) I was asleep and didn't know anything about it until it was too late. Same road only this time traveling in the other direction the other cars driver took a "racing" line round the blind bend and hit us head on (I wasn't driving because my wrist was still broken from the first colision). I suffered no further injuries at all.
So either relax or fall asleep if you can.
T84 said:
Negative Creep said:
Since bracing is bad for you, why is it that we do it instinctively before an impact?
Because humans were never designed to travel at 70mph it was probably the right reflex hundreds of years ago!And as for the main point, I imagine I'd just relax, shut my eyes and sigh "well... fk me".
Welshwonder said:
I sadly managed to crash my pride and joy a couple of years ago. It ended up being head on into a wall. At the time of impact, I was still subconciously trying to brake and recover the car, so I had my hands still on the wheel. If memory serves (from photos), the skid marks stopped before hitting the wall, so my foot must have been off the pedal. I was strapped into Recaros with four point harnesses.
The impact wasn't the biggest out there, but it was enough so that the engine was on the floor (this was an Evo 6). I came out with no injuries at all. I think I was blacked out at the time of impact (because I don't remember much), so this may have made me relax a little.
The next day was a different matter. Woke up feeling stiff and gradually got worse. Peaked about 1PM where I couldn't move! Better than being in the hospital with broken limbs though!
Oh, there was no airbag and also, I 'submarined' within the harness, so I will always buy a 5 or 6 point from now on! If the bulkhead had come in, both my legs would have been smashed.
Possibly a silly question but surely if you had a 5/6 point harness instead all that force that made you submarine in your seat would have been stopped by the 'crotch strap', in effect putting all that force your nuts. Wouldn't that have been just as, if not more, painful (and possibly have stopped you ever being able to have kids!)?The impact wasn't the biggest out there, but it was enough so that the engine was on the floor (this was an Evo 6). I came out with no injuries at all. I think I was blacked out at the time of impact (because I don't remember much), so this may have made me relax a little.
The next day was a different matter. Woke up feeling stiff and gradually got worse. Peaked about 1PM where I couldn't move! Better than being in the hospital with broken limbs though!
Oh, there was no airbag and also, I 'submarined' within the harness, so I will always buy a 5 or 6 point from now on! If the bulkhead had come in, both my legs would have been smashed.
hairyben said:
dave9 said:
floppy - that's why babies often survive unhurt
Yeah there's been a couple of big airline disasters where the only survivor was a baby.Mr2Mike said:
hairyben said:
dave9 said:
floppy - that's why babies often survive unhurt
Yeah there's been a couple of big airline disasters where the only survivor was a baby.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff