NEWS

In the first part of our series, you can read about what to do if you are sure that a collision is inevitable.  This article is not about how to avoid a collision - of course we do our best to avoid it (e.g. keeping the car in good technical condition, using tires according to the season, not driving when drinking, observing speed limits, not letting things distract the attention, keeping a rest when tired, etc.). Instead, we are writing about how to reduce the risk or severity of an injury if you, even to the best of your knowledge, cannot avoid the collision.

Here are the things you can do prior to starting your journey to minimise the level of injury upon a collision:

• Use a seat belt: maybe we do not need to mention that it can save lives, so always use it and adjust its height, do not take it around your neck.
• Adjust your seat: when the clutch is fully depressed, your leg should not be fully stretched, as a stretched leg can suffer more serious injuries (adjust yourself to the brake pedal in the case of a car with an automatic transmission). Keep your upper body at the distance of 2530 cm from the steering wheel (i.e. from the air bag).
• Adjust the headrest: position it as close as possible to the nape of the neck and the top should be in line with the crotch of the head this is very important in the event of a pile-up accident.
• Seat position: sit up straight, facing forward, in a "normal" position (e.g. do not bend out the window) this is how the car's safety devices can protect you the most. Here we would like to note: please do not allow your passenger to rest their legs on the dashboard, it can result in a serious injury.

When you are sure that a collision is inevitable:

• this situation is very difficult, as you only have a few seconds to assess try to keep your head cool, do not panic, expect that you still might have to steer after the collision
• aim to drive at the minimum speed at the moment of the impact
• The followings apply to every case:
  • keep your hands on the steering wheel, your wrists straight
  • hold your head against the head support
• side impact: this is extremely dangerous because the head is located close to the window and the column, therefore try to hold on as hard as possible so that your body does not move sideways
• if the impact is expected from behind: e.g. you are at an intersection and see that a car arriving from behind will not be able to stop:
  • in such situation the head suddenly moves to the front and then back, known the whiplash effect, which puts a lot of strain on the cervical vertebrae (this can even cause paralysis in severe cases) - it is worth knowing that your symptoms can appear even after 2-3 days
  • release the brake pedal, this will soften the impact
  • press your back to the backrest and your head to the headrest
• if your car turns over: it helps a lot to lean against on the ceiling with both hands while overturning

Possibly try to draw the attention of other drivers to the danger by sound and light signals.

Linda Billinger – ALD Head of Support