Don’t ride with your feet on the dash

Even in the most comfortable of vehicles, long road trips make it tempting to ride with your feet on the dash. This can be extremely dangerous. First of all, a person generally has very little warning that a collision is imminent. There is often no time to react. When the collision happens and the airbag is deployed a person with their feet on the the dash better hope for some instant flexibility. The airbag will cause severe damage to the legs, pushing them back into a person’s face. What’s worse is that the seatbelt which should be worn low and over the hips will ride up over the abdomen because of the body’s position when the feet are on the dash. Rather than the hips bones bearing the weight of impact it is the abs. Even a six pack won’t prevent serious internal injuries.

If sitting in the proper riding position is too uncomfortable, schedule breaks so that you are able to get out and walk around. This might help reduce the temptation to ride with your feet on the dash.