Auto accident safety

I normally talk about functional biomechanics in my posts, but since the summer months entice us into road trips, I wanted to take this opportunity to briefly speak about motor vehicle accidents, how to keep you and your child as safe as you can and how to prevent chronic injury.
Motor vehicle collisions are a major cause of injuries in the United States. They are the leading cause of preventable death in children and they are a leading cause of chronic pain, decreased range of motion and degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis). What can we do to be safe? Well, there are a number of things we can do to prevent accidents and to minimize an accident’s effect on our body. I’ll mention some of the important ones here:
1. Wear a seatbelt. It’s best worn over your pelvic bones and across your shoulder/chest away from your neck. Seatbelts decrease the risk of injury by 42% without an airbag. (Airbags by themselves are only 12% effective)
2. Child restraints- Use a child seat that has a high rating for safety. Follow instructions for rear facing, forward facing and weight limits and where the straps should lie on the child. Infants and toddlers can easily fly out of the seat if the straps are not on correctly.
3. Booster seats- the only booster seat that improves safety is the high back booster seat. It decreases injury by 70%. Just a booster without the high back is no more effective than a seatbelt alone.
4. Airbags are effective, especially side impact airbags. It’s unfortunate that side airbags are optional, but you should get them if at all possible. Never place your hands or feet on the airbag. Place hands low on the steering wheel. Airbags can cause multiple fractures.
5. Head restraint- Adjust the head restraint to ensure it actually prevents your neck from bending backwards. Many head restraints are positioned too low.
6. ABS- automatic braking systems allow you to steer while you are braking. Look to where you want the car to go not for what you want to miss.
7. Electronic stability control- is an excellent safety option, so buy it if you can. It helps stabilize the car in case of skidding or hydroplaning.
8. SUV’s- because they are a larger vehicle they can provide an advantage over smaller cars, but they are much more likely to be involved in a roll over crash that results in death. SUV’s are less maneuverable so they are in crashes more often. SUV’s are designed to be driven slowly.
9. If you know you are going to be in rear ended by another car, it is best to shrug your shoulders, brake hard, and look at the top of the windshield.
10. Do not drive while text messaging or utilizing a cell phone. Avoid all other distractions.

Hopefully some of these tidbits have been helpful to improve your safety on the road. However, if you are in an accident, it is extremely important to seek care as soon as possible. When a problem is caught early it is much easier to resolve than a problem that has been left untreated for a long period of time. Even low impact, seemingly minor accidents can cause injuries. Research shows that 9% of Americans have chronic neck pain because of an automobile accident. Chronically tight muscles and restricted joints lead to decreased range of motion, painful movement and osteoarthritis. Our joints are designed to move. They have limited vascularity so they depend on motion to bring in nutrients and take away waste products. If a joint doesn’t move properly, it will begin to break down. This leads to arthritis and bone spurs. Seeking high quality care that addresses these issues is critical to full recovery.
I have much more valuable information about auto accident recovery, so if you would like a consultation please feel free to contact me. 503-808-9145.