Did you know that carrying loose objects in the car aggravates the consequences of an accident?

The best precaution to avoid injury from the objects we carry in the car is to inform ourselves of the danger that this represents, to assume a conscious and responsible attitude about our safety. The definition of force is the magnitude equal to the mass by the acceleration (Mag = mass x acceleration), in other words, when we accelerate a body that has mass, we convert it into a force and the forces are what cause us injuries in accidents or even death.

Carrying loose objects in our vehicle represents a risk, although it may not seem like it, they can cause serious injuries, even death. According to surveys carried out for a study, they revealed that 22% of the people surveyed carry loose objects inside cars, without knowing the risks that this can entail. What many respondents are unaware of is the great risk posed by carrying these loose objects in their vehicle. The weight of each loose object can be increased from 30 to 60 times more than its own weight, this only circulating at 50 km/h.

These loose objects are real projectiles in the event of an accident, increasing the risk of vehicle occupants of injury, serious injury and even death. In an accident there are always 4 type of impacts:

• The first impact is that of the vehicle against the obstacle.
• The second impact is that of our body (which wants to keep moving at the speed we were going) against the seat belt and the airbag.
• The third impact, which is usually fatal, is that of our internal organs against the skeleton and between them (the heart and lungs against the ribs, the brain against the skull, etc.).
• The fourth impact usually occurs when you have loose things in the car.

A ballpoint pen can weigh approximately 25 grams, this ballpoint pen being a loose object in your vehicle and with a collision at a speed of 50 km/h can weigh more than 50 times its weight, about 1.4 kg approximately. The pen turns into a projectile that can hit the head of the driver or any passenger in the vehicle, causing serious brain damage or even worse death.

This could be an exaggeration, but there is evidence that a driver died because of an accident and his pen stuck in his head. We know it may be too much of a coincidence, but precisely all fatal accidents are due to chance.

Another very common loose object in vehicles is the tablet. The tablet has an approximate weight of 330 grams, being in a moving vehicle will have a weight of 18.7 kg. Unfortunately, there is a case where a 3-year-old girl died after hitting a tablet when the vehicle she was traveling with, collided with another. This unfortunate event again calls into question the safety of accessories such as tablets, pens, smartphones, glasses case, etc.

Let's take another example that is very common, the glasses case. The glasses case has an approximate weight of 350 grams. The glasses case in a vehicle moving at 60 km/h would have an approximate weight of 8.5 kg.

Current mobile phones or smartphones have an approximate weight of 160 to 190 grams. Comparing with the previous examples, in an impact of 60 km/h a phone would have a force equivalent to 11.4 kg, equivalent to receiving a good stone.

Another example that we can mention is a 10 kg suitcase, the suitcase would weigh 560 kg. Imagine for a moment according to everything described that these objects are in a vehicle that circulates at 120 km/h on a motorway.

Due to the brutal deceleration (it is a negative acceleration, from more speed to less) to which we are subjected in an accident, the force exerted by our body against the seat belt is between 55 and 60 times the value of our mass, that is, if our weight is 80 kg, in an accident in which we go from 60 km / h to 0 km / h practically in an instant (when hitting a tree or similar), the belts must hold a weight of 80 × 60 = 4,800 kg. (Yes, 4,800 kg., Not a mistake!).

For all this, holding a box with a seat belt, for example, is useless in the event of an accident.

The safest way to transport your luggage is in the trunk space, and the different loose objects must be well stored in the glove boxes and different storage spaces that you have distributed in the vehicle, bags behind the backrests of the front seats, holes in the front and / or rear armrest, door openings, etc.

If you have to transport small pets, they should be in a carrier on the ground behind the back of the front seats, never occupying a seat or on top of a passenger.

Consider the idea of using a trailer, chest, or other accessory to safely increase the capacity of the trunk. You can travel with all the luggage you need, and you will do it safely.

Additionally, we recommend that:

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  Metal or heavy objects, such as keys, should be left in holes with a lid.
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  Never leave objects on the rear tray.
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  Use the slots on slides and hold the load.
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  Try to carry the heaviest items in spaces that have a lid, such as the glove box or the chest between the seats.
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  Try not to leave objects on the seats. If you can't put them in a closed space, it's best to put them on the floor or even under the seats.
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  If you have cargo in the trunk above the tray, hold it tightly or put a cargo separator net to prevent it from being thrown into the cabin.
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  Always hold heavy objects in the trunk.

If you have to fold down the rear seatbacks to carry cargo, always hold it as much as possible.

Seat belts are designed to hold the human body, not boxes or suitcases. Use nylon ropes or tapes and tie them, do not use the seat belt of the rear seats to hold loads.

Have a safe trip!