Weighing the dangers of flying missiles in car accidents

I will never forget an image I saw several years ago of a car accident. A driver in that accident had a pen attached to his neck, much like a flying dart attached to a dartboard. The driver survived the crash but had to go through an intense surgical procedure to remove the so-called “pen” of his neck

A weightless box of tissues, a music CD, a portable iPod or even a small pen may not appear to be lethal objects. However, they sure can be during the impact time of a high-speed car accident. When a crash occurs, speed worsens its severity by increasing the energy of the impact. The higher the speed of the vehicle, the more severe the impact will be during the secondary collision of crashes. Secondary collision is when drivers and passengers collide with objects inside the vehicle. That object could definitely be a loose item in the vehicle that has been transformed into a dangerous flying missile during the crash.

When a vehicle and all its contents, including passengers and objects, are traveling at high speed, they have inertia, which means they will want to continue forward with that direction and speed. (Newton’s first law of motion). In the event of a sudden deceleration of a rigid frame vehicle due to an impact, unsecured contents within the vehicle will continue to move at their previous speed due to inertia. They will impact the interior of the vehicle with a force equivalent to many times their normal weight due to gravity. During this terrifying situation in a high-speed car accident, a “tissue box” it can transform into a heavy brick and has been cited as a cause of death in at least one accident. And yes, a “little pen” can transform into a flying arrow or dart.

Thousands of people have been seriously injured and killed in auto accidents primarily due to secondary collision with an unsecured object in the vehicle. So this is where prevention can be your lifeline to prevent these tragic situations from happening. Some tips to keep in mind:

• The first prevention tip is obvious, but it should never be underestimated, and it is “don’t speed up”; To reiterate, the higher the speed, the heavier object in a car accident.
• The second prevention tip is to ask yourself if it is necessary for an object to be inside your vehicle, for example. “Is it really necessary to have 60 music CDs in my vehicle?” The more objects inside the vehicle, the greater the chance that they could hit victims like flying missiles in a crash; In other words, “less is better.”
• The third prevention tip is to secure the objects that are necessary to travel with you in a motor vehicle, keep them in the glove compartment of the vehicle or inside the trunk. It is also very valuable advice when it comes to car theft prevention.

We can all do our part not to become targets for flying missiles in car crashes. Be aware of the dangers that are both inside and outside of your vehicle. Reduce the items you carry inside your vehicle and keep them in the glove box or trunk.