We’ve all seen it.
Someone relaxing in the passenger seat.
Music playing.
Windows open.
Summer sunshine.
Feet resting comfortably on the dashboard.
It looks harmless.
It even looks trendy.
But in reality, it is one of the most dangerous positions a passenger can sit in.
The difference between arriving safely and suffering life-changing injuries can be measured in milliseconds.
The airbag isn’t a cushion
Many people think the dashboard is soft because there’s an airbag underneath it.
It isn’t.
The passenger airbag is designed to save lives by preventing your head and chest striking the dashboard.
To do that, it has to inflate incredibly quickly.
Most passenger airbags deploy in around 20 to 40 milliseconds, travelling at speeds of up to 300 km/h.
That explosive force is designed to stop the momentum of an adult body.
If your legs are resting above it, the airbag launches directly underneath them.
Instead of protecting you, it throws your knees towards your face with enormous force.
The result can include:
- Broken femurs
- Dislocated hips
- Shattered knees
- Broken pelvis
- Fractured spine
- Severe facial injuries
- Permanent paralysis
Doctors have treated patients whose legs have literally been forced backwards towards their shoulders.
Your driver loses visibility
Feet on the dashboard create another problem before a collision even happens.
They can partially block the driver’s view through the windscreen, especially at junctions or when checking the passenger side of the road.
The driver also has fewer safe options if they need to brake suddenly because your body is already out of its proper seating position.
Seatbelts only work properly when you sit properly
Seatbelts are carefully designed to hold your strongest bones against the seat.
That only works when you’re sitting upright.
When you’re lying back or sitting with your legs raised, the seatbelt can no longer do its job properly.
The submarine effect
Road safety experts call it submarining.
Instead of your pelvis being held securely by the lap belt, your body slides underneath it during heavy braking or a collision.
As you slide forward:
- The belt can ride up into the abdomen, causing serious internal injuries.
- You may strike the dashboard or windscreen.
- In severe crashes you can even be partially or completely ejected from the vehicle.
The cuts caused by broken glass and the massive internal injuries can be life-changing, even in crashes that would otherwise have been survivable.
Spain’s rules
Spanish traffic regulations require all vehicle occupants to maintain a position that allows the safety systems to work correctly and does not interfere with the safe operation of the vehicle.
That means sitting correctly, wearing the seatbelt properly, and avoiding positions that compromise safety, including resting your feet on the dashboard.
One simple choice
Comfort lasts for a few minutes.
The injuries can last forever.
Keep your seat upright.
Wear your seatbelt correctly.
Keep both feet on the floor.
Because the safest journey is the one where every safety system is allowed to do the job it was designed for.
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