Should You Brace for Impact in a Car Accident?

Even though vehicles have more safety features than ever, car accidents are still tragically common. According to the Virginia Highway Safety Office, in 2023, there were 127,597 car accidents in Virginia alone. Even the most cautious of drivers can find themselves involved in a crash, so knowing how to prepare yourself is essential. You may have heard the phrase “brace for impact,” but should you brace for impact in a car accident? Here’s a closer look.

What Does “Brace for Impact” Mean?

When you brace for impact, you tense your body and adopt a strategic posture to reduce injury immediately before a crash. Bracing will often reduce the risk of “secondary impact,” which is when a part of your body strikes something else right after the initial collision. Secondary impact can be deadly. For example, a driver may not suffer a serious injury as soon as their car is hit, but that impact may cause the driver’s head to hit the steering wheel with deadly force.

The phrase “brace for impact” started as an instruction for plane passengers when an aircraft crash was inevitable. In a plane, passengers bend forward, place their heads against the seat in front and their hands on the seat beside their heads, and plant their feet firmly on the floor. This position reduces their chances of suffering a secondary impact. It also shields the body from debris, reduces the risk of strain on the neck and spine, and prevents arms and legs from flailing. It cannot guarantee a passenger will walk away from a crash unscathed, but it protects the head, spinal cord, and chest—three areas of the body where major injuries are likely to be deadly.

While the position itself is different, bracing for impact before a car crash can also prevent catastrophic injuries and potentially save lives.

Why Should You Brace for Impact in a Car Accident?

Like bracing for impact in a plane, bracing before a car crash can protect you from some of the most serious kinds of injuries. In general, you should always brace for impact unless you have time to swerve to avoid an accident.

When you brace, you may be more likely to suffer broken bones in your arms or legs, but you’re less likely to sustain life-threatening or fatal accident injuries like these:

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)

A traumatic brain injury can range from a temporary concussion to severe damage that may even lead to death. Because they have such far-reaching effects, TBIs are among the most difficult accident injuries to treat and manage. A TBI can impact thinking and memory to the point that even daily activities become challenging. It may also cause debilitating headaches, issues with vision and balance, and dramatic personality changes.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Without bracing, your spine is uniquely vulnerable in a car accident. Sudden, extreme forces can cause the spinal cord to partially or completely tear. If the spinal cord is severed, you lose all feeling and movement below the area of injury. Partial tears can cause various degrees of impairment.

Even if the spinal cord itself stays intact, a car accident can still result in other serious back injuries. Fractured vertebrae and herniated discs can cause serious pain and numbness, and they are often difficult to treat.

Facial Injuries

Facial injuries from car accidents are often extremely painful. Even if they heal completely, they can lead to lifelong disfigurement. Depending on the exact nature of the injury, a severe impact to your face can also lead to blindness or even the loss of an eye.

Serious Chest Injuries

Blunt-force trauma to the chest (like you might experience if you are thrown against the steering wheel in an accident) can be deadly. If the impact is hard enough, your breathing or circulation may be affected. Blunt trauma can also rupture your aorta, causing rapid death by blood loss.

How to Brace for a Car Crash

While some collisions may happen with no warning at all, you often will have a few milliseconds to prepare for an imminent car crash. Bracing for a car crash is much different than bracing in a plane, largely because car airbags are designed for occupants who are sitting upright.

How can you brace yourself in crash situations? Here’s how to prepare for a car accident before impact:

• Face forward and look straight ahead
• Sit squarely against the back of your seat
• Press the back of your head against the headrest
• Keep your wrists straight, not bent
• Tense your muscles and grip the steering wheel tightly
• Keep your arms mostly straight so your torso is pressed firmly to the seat
• Engage the brake pedal to reduce the car’s momentum

These steps are the same regardless of whether you anticipate an impact from the front, rear, or side.

To make sure you’re as safe as possible in the event of a crash, you should always wear your seat belt (without placing the shoulder strap behind your back), sit at least six inches from the steering wheel, and adjust the headrest so your head touches it but your neck does not.

What to Do When Injured in a Car Accident

Bracing for impact can reduce your risk of catastrophic injuries. However, unless an accident happens at a very low speed, some level of injury is often unavoidable.

If you are involved in an accident, the rush of adrenaline you experience may mask the symptoms of injuries. Even if you think you aren’t hurt, you should always call 911 to summon police and emergency medical personnel. If you are able, take photos and/or video of the accident scene as you wait for emergency responders.

While it’s wise to obtain the other driver’s insurance information, you also should avoid saying anything that might imply you were at fault. Doing so generally harms your chance of filing a successful car accident claim. It may also lead the other driver to pursue civil litigation against you.

Car crash injuries can cause you considerable pain, lead to high medical bills, and make it impossible to work. However, working with a car accident lawyer may make it easier to recuperate and move on with your life.

If you’ve been injured in an accident and are considering filing a car crash claim, the attorneys at Huffman & Huffman Brothers-in-Law may be able to help you recover compensation to pay your medical bills, make up for lost income, and support you as you heal.

Mike

Find top rated attorneys and law firms profiles with Find Attorneys Directory, the best and free online attorney directory. Guest bloggers can also publish their articles here as other bloggers are doing.