According to the experts in road safety, there is a place that is clearly safer than the rest, and one more dangerous. But there are many factors to take into account – especially the type of vehicle concerned. And it never hurts to remember: always wear a seat belt, regardless of the place.
There is a widespread idea that being next to the driver can bring greater risks in an emergency situation, which raises the issue: What is the safest place When do we travel by car?
“The safest place of a car depends Much of the type of vehicle where we are, ”he explains Byron BlochSpecialist in Automobile Security.
“The nature of the accident Also counts. Was it a rollover? A side clash? A front clash? ”, Note Bloch.
“First of all, There is no universally safer place That applies to all lights, monolutions, SUVs or open cash vans, ”explains Bloch to.
That said, there is strong statistical evidence that one of the particular places takes advantage over the rest. “The middle rear seat It is in principle the safest, because it is farther from a possible lateral intrusion”Says Bloch.
According to one from 2008 who analyzed all deadly accidents in the United States between 2000 and 2003, Probability of survival In the middle rear seat is, on average, 25% higher of the other places of the car.
The data becomes even more convincing when we look at passengers youngest. It is common knowledge that a child should never sit in the front seat. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that Only from the age of 13 Children can travel alongside the driver.
In this place, the risk for children is greater essentially because the airbags They are calibrated to adult bodies about 68 kg. Children’s bones are more fragile and can easily fracture when hit by an airbag that fires at 320 km/h.
But It is not enough simply to put the children in the back seat. Another study, based on car insurance complaints between December 1998 and December 2006, concluded that children aged three or less had a 43% lower risk of suffering injuries when sitting on the back seat in the middle compared to the side places.
In short, you travel with a younger passenger, you should put it in the safest place of the car: the middle rear seat.
But that’s not all that matters
The choice of place may have real impact, but Bloch warns that it is even more important choose the safest vehicle possible. After studying these issues and fighting for safer cars for about 50 years, he knows the existing flaws well.
“It can be assumed, with some logic, that each manufacturer produces comparable vehicles in terms of safety,” he says. “But There are great differencesbecause road safety standards are only minimum requirements. ”
Often, The minimum is not enough. For starters, make sure the side airbags protect all places. Unlike frontal airbags, the Risk for children is reducedprovided they are in seats or with their belt placed.
“Some vehicles only have them to the driver line,” says Bloch. “But in a SUV, for example, There may be two more lines behind. It must be confirmed that side airbags protect all passengers in all lines. ”
Attention to windows and the roof
Another important aspect is the laminated glass. Unlike the tempered glass, which easily shines, laminate glass consists of two thick glass layers with a resistant resin – butrally polyvinyl (PVB) – in the middle, which makes it much more impact resistant.
Laminate glass was first used in windshields in 1927 and remains the standard in this position. However, For being more expensive, Many manufacturers opt for tempered glass on side windows.
“We want All side windows and the opening ceiling in laminated glass”, Recommends Bloch.“ Because the Tempered Glass is departed immediately in thousands of small fragments. ”
Finally, you must ensure that the Turo is sufficiently resistant not to collapse in case of rollover. “Whatever the vehicle you are looking for, ask the dealership: ‘What is the resistance/weight of the roof of this car that wants to sell me, in which my family will travel? ‘”, Says Bloch.
There are cars in the market with a Resistance/weight ratio of 2.5but the value to look for is 4.0 or higher – which means that the roof can support four times the car’s weight before deforming five centimeters.
Finally, never forget the importance of. If all passengers are properly stuck with the belt, the hypotheses of survival in a rollover increase dramatically
