If it hasn’t already happened, it is likely that you will be involved in a road accident at some time. However, there are some things you can do to keep yourself safe or even avoid accidents.
wear a fitted seatbelt and make sure everyone else in your vehicle wears one too
make sure any children are restrained in safety approved seats
adjust your headrest so its middle is level with your ears
keep heavy objects in the boot, don’t have them in the cab
make sure you are alert when you drive – never drive while tired or if you have had alcohol
reduce glare by wearing sunglasses
check your tyres regularly to make sure they are properly inflated, and there is plenty of tread
check your brakes regularly to make sure they work efficiently
even if you think an accident is about to happen, don’t turn away – keeping your head straight on your shoulders can reduce the likelihood and severity of spinal injuries
try leaving the car home
If you are unfortunate enough to be injured in an accident, this information might help. The most common injuries in a non-fatal road accident include:
whiplash
back injury
brain and/or head trauma
damage to knees
injury to the spinal cord/spinal column
Whiplash is the most common of these, but may be the most difficult to get insurance companies to pay out for. Whiplash claims, especially for low impact accidents, can be treated with suspicion by insurance companies. These companies will cite studies with crash test dummies that shows insignificant injury at impacts below 10mph. However, these findings may not be valid. The studies use dummies of average height and weight, which discriminates against very tall people and women, who seem to suffer disproportionately from these injuries. Also, the dummies wear seatbelts and have correctly adjusted headrests, which people don’t always do (unfortunately).
Luckily, whiplash is probably the least severe of these injuries. Injuries affecting the spinal column can lead to serious, long-lasting consequences, and road traffic accidents are the second-most common cause of these injuries.