Charlotte Injury Lawyers Blog
Riding in the Backseat of a Pickup Could be Dangerous
You may feel safe when you are riding in a large pickup truck. Generally, when a pickup truck collides with a smaller vehicle, the truck will sustain less damage. Some of the larger pickup trucks are becoming more popular, and many people use them both for work and for their family and pleasure needs. New crash test results on 2023 large pickup trucks have found that backseat passengers could be in danger in case of an accident.
Safety Study Results
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently tested large pickup trucks for safety. The IIHS tracks crash and injury claims. They completed tests specifically after research showed that backseat passengers in newer large trucks have a high incidence of fatalities and serious injuries. The results of crash tests found that large truck passengers seated in the second row more often suffered serious injuries in crashes than those in the front seats.
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Risk of Crush Injuries in Second Row
The research found that there is a risk of crush injuries to passengers seated in the second row. These passengers are more likely to suffer severe internal injuries. The reason is because of the seatbelts and seating style. Smaller people, especially women and children around age 12, are more subject to the problem. Specifically, when the truck suffers a sudden impact, the second-row passengers may slip down and out of their seats, even if they are wearing a seatbelt. Sitting up straight could lessen the negative effect.
Front-Seat Passengers are Not Affected
The study found that the safety of front-seat passengers was not at risk. That is because the front seat provides more stability along with the use of airbags and seatbelts. Sitting up straight caused the seatbelt to properly hold the passenger without causing a slide through. This type of slide-through is called submarining. Pickup trucks must keep the back seat passengers’ heads from the front seats and from the interior space. The seatbelts should stay on the shoulder during impact.
The IIHS tested four large pickup trucks, including the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Tundra, and Dodge Ram 1500. All had the potential risk of serious injuries due to submarining. The Toyota Tundra earned a marginal rating, while the others earned poor ratings. Chest, head, or neck injuries were more likely in the Ram 1500 and the F-150 It is important to note that babies and children in car seats were not affected when they were properly secured.
Preventing Injuries
Truck manufacturers routinely utilize this type of research to improve the safety features of their vehicles. Until they make design changes, you will want to be cautious when riding in the second row of a large pickup truck. There are a couple of things you can do to improve safety for backseat passengers. Passengers should sit upright and should not slouch since that contributes to submarining. Make sure you fasten the seatbelt over the pelvic area to prevent slip-throughs. When the seatbelt is too high, an impact can cause internal crush injuries, which can be very serious or life-threatening. Small adults or children may want to avoid riding in these seats.
If you were hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be owed compensation for your damages. Contact us today at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 to request a consultation.
The skilled personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to maximizing the financial recovery and obtaining justice for every personal injury client injured by another party’s negligence. The issues our personal injury clients may be facing include, but are not limited to, slip and fall injuries, wrongful death, product liability, catastrophic injuries, dog bite claims, car and truck accident injuries, motorcycle injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), nursing home negligence, spinal cord injury, boating accidents, and defective medical device injury. Our personal injury attorneys understand the devastating impact such an injury can have on a person’s life, and that the effects so often go beyond physical pain and suffering. The personal injury attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC are dedicated to helping clients determine the strength of their claims, and to aggressively pursuing the means necessary to achieve the best possible end result for each client’s particular situation.
Source:
A pickup truck crash may be more dangerous for back-seat riders, new tests show (msn.com)
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https://www.freeimages.com/photo/an-accident-on-the-freeway-1576127
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