What Is the Safest Seating Position in a Car During a Crash?

Understanding the safest seating position can make a significant difference in protecting passengers during a crash. While modern vehicles are equipped with advanced safety features like airbags and seat belts, the seat location and the position of your body play crucial roles in minimizing the risk of injury.

Guidelines for the Safest Seating Position in Cars

Understanding the safest seating position can significantly reduce the risk of severe injuries or fatalities during a collision. Knowing where to sit during a ride and how to ensure proper use of safety features is essential for both drivers and passengers.

1) Sit Upright

Avoid reclining too far back when driving, as this can compromise the effectiveness of critical safety features like your seatbelt and airbag. Sitting too far back can misalign you with these systems, reducing their ability to protect you in the event of a collision.

To ensure optimal safety and comfort, sit upright and maintain an angle of 100 to 110 degrees between the seat base and the seat back. This slight recline not only helps reduce strain and pressure on your lower back during long drives but also ensures you remain in a position where you can comfortably and effectively control the vehicle.

2) Adjust Your Seat Position

Maintain a safe distance from the steering wheel or dashboard to ensure your safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advises sitting at least 10-12 inches away from the steering wheel or dashboard to minimize the risk of serious injuries caused by deploying airbags during a crash.

Airbags are designed to inflate with great force to protect you in an accident, but the first 2-3 inches from the airbag is considered a high-risk zone due to the force of their deployment. Sitting too close can lead to severe injuries to the head, neck, or chest.

3) Properly Adjust Your Head Restraint

Position the headrest so that the middle of the headrest aligns with the level of your ears. This adjustment ensures optimal support for your head and neck. Additionally, the gap between the back of your head and the head restraint should be minimized as much as possible, ideally less than 4 inches. Keeping this distance small is crucial for reducing the risk of whiplash injuries during a collision, as it prevents excessive movement of the head and provides better protection in the event of an impact.

4) Wear Your Seatbelt Properly, and At All Times

Be sure to wear your seat belt at all times, and ensure proper seatbelt placement and positioning:

• Secure the lap belt across your pelvis and the shoulder belt across your rib cage.
• Use the seat belt height adjuster to position the shoulder belt so it runs across the center of your chest and stays away from your neck.
• Ensure the lap belt sits snugly across your hips, not across your stomach, as your pelvic bones are better equipped to withstand the force of an accident than your soft organs in your abdomen.

While seat belt use is mandated in Texas and other states, wearing a seat belt at all times is the best policy regardless of the law.

5) Seat Children in the Proper Seat Types and Locations

Properly seating children in the correct seat type and location is essential for their safety and significantly reduces the risk of injury in the event of an accident. The laws for child passenger safety vary by state, but generally the recommended seating position varies by age:

• Infants and Toddlers: Children under the age of 2 should be seated in a rear-facing car seat, which provides the best protection for their head, neck, and spine during an accident. These seats should be installed in the back seat of the vehicle.
• Preschool and Young Children: Once children outgrow the rear-facing seat, typically between ages 2 to 4, they should transition to a forward-facing car seat equipped with a harness. This seat should also remain in the back seat for maximum safety.
• Older Children: Children who have outgrown their forward-facing car seats, usually between ages 4 to 8 or when they reach the height and weight limit for the seat, should use a booster seat. Booster seats ensure that the seat belt fits properly across their chest and hips.
• General Recommendation: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of 13 are safest when seated in the back seat, away from active airbags that could cause injury in a collision. While some states, like Texas, allow children to sit in the front seat at age 8 or after they’re at least 4’9″, children are still safer seated in a rear seat.

What is the Safest Seat in a Car During a Wreck?

The safest seat in a car during a wreck is widely considered to be the middle seat in the rear row. According to research and studies conducted on vehicle crashes by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the rear middle seat is farthest away from potential impact zones, such as the front or sides of the car, offering an added layer of protection.

Additionally, passengers seated in the rear middle seat are less likely to experience the full force of side-impact collisions. However, safety also depends on proper usage of seat belts or booster seats, as appropriate for the passenger’s age and size. Further, the safest seating position can vary depending on the type of crash and the vehicle’s design.

What Side of a Car is Most Commonly Hit in a Wreck?

Data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) provides insight into the impact points most commonly involved in crashes across vehicle types. Below are the statistics for passenger vehicle occupant deaths in 2022, categorized by the point of initial impact:

• Frontal Impact: 15,192 deaths (59%)
• Side Impact: 5,697 deaths (22%)
• Rear Impact: 1,342 deaths (5%)
• Other (Mostly Rollover): 3,495 deaths (14%)

Frontal impacts are the most common across all vehicle types, accounting for the majority of occupant fatalities. Side impacts are the second most frequent, followed by rollovers and rear impacts.

Dangerous Sitting Positions in a Vehicle

A dangerous seating position in a vehicle can significantly increase the likelihood of severe injuries during an accident. While some seating habits may seem harmless or comfortable, they can put passengers at heightened risk due to the forces involved in a crash or sudden stop. Below are some of the most dangerous seating positions and the common injuries they can cause:

1. Feet on the Dashboard: Having your feet on the dashboard may seem relaxing, but during an accident, airbags deploy with immense force. This can result in severe injuries such as broken legs, dislocated hips, or facial injuries from the legs being forced backward.
2. Hanging Hands/Arms/Legs Out the Window: While it might feel freeing to rest your limbs outside the vehicle, this poses a risk of severe injuries. Side-impact collisions or contact with nearby objects can lead to amputations, fractures, joint injuries, or deep lacerations.
3. Sitting Too Close to the Steering Wheel: Sitting too close decreases the time and distance your body has to absorb the force of an impact. Airbag deployment in these cases can cause chest injuries, broken ribs, or even internal organ damage to the abdomen.
4. Not Using Seatbelts: Failing to wear a seatbelt increases the likelihood of being thrown from the seat during a crash, which can result in catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), spinal cord injuries, or death.
5. Improper Headrest Placement: A headrest positioned too low or too high can lead to whiplash injuries during a rear-end collision. Whiplash can cause soft tissue damage, chronic neck pain, and limited mobility over time.

Adopting a proper seating position and adhering to safety practices, such as wearing a seatbelt properly and adjusting seats and headrests to the appropriate levels, can greatly mitigate these risks.

How Thompson Law Can Help If You’re Injured in a Wreck

If you’ve suffered injuries in a car accident, regardless of your seating position, Thompson Law is here to fight for your rights and ensure you get the justice and compensation you deserve. Our experienced personal injury attorneys specialize in handling complex car accident cases and understand the physical, emotional, and financial toll such incidents can take on victims and their families.

From negotiating with insurance companies to gathering crucial evidence, Thompson Law is committed to building a strong case on your behalf. We operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning you owe us nothing unless we win your case. Contact us today for a free consultation and take the first step towards rebuilding your life.