It's that time of year again, when passengers suddenly decide to recline the seat and put their feet up on the dashboard; I've seen many in the last couple of weeks.
A moment's thought would identify that in a crash, you'd submarine forward until you hit the dash or the seatbelt caught under your chin. The Germans, a few years ago, crash tested a car with the passenger dummy's feet on the dash; the airbag folded up the dummy, a real person would have been killed.
(If I remember correctly, it was an estate with a surfboard, or similar, in the back - that caused huge damage as well as it flew through the passenger compartment...)
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And there is the additional safety issue that anyone trying to put their feet up on my dashboard will be recieving a swift punch to the thigh.
See how relaxed they feel with a dead leg.
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And there is the additional safety issue that anyone trying to put their feet up on my dashboard will be recieving a swift punch to the thigh. See how relaxed they feel with a dead leg.
I\'d like to see youo try that with my wife !!! :)
She usually listens when I tell her not to be so stupid.
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>> And there is the additional safety issue that anyone trying to >> put their feet up on my dashboard will be recieving a >> swift punch to the thigh. >> See how relaxed they feel with a dead leg. >> I'd like to see youo try that with my wife !!! :)
Oh well, it goes without saying that I wouldn't do such a thing to a member of the fairer sex...
...because they tend to be far more vindictive with their methods of revenge. ;)
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And arms dangling out of the windows.
Everytime I see someone doing this I remember my wife's aunt who had her arm taken off by a bit of traffic furniture.
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Well, at least these stupid people are only going to harm themselves, and with a heavy jeart, I say good riddance, when you eye them up, they're usually the dregs of society and would punch you if you explained to them their folly.
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My ex-girlfriend did just this. Sat in the front of her friends car on the motorway, feet up on the dash with no shoes. Van pulls into their path and her friend swerves into the barrier to avoid.
My ex ended up with a few broken bones in her feet and glass embedded into the flesh.
This wasn't a particulary fast crash either. Silly girl.
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And arms dangling out of the windows.
Everytime I see someone doing this I remember my wife's aunt who had her arm taken off by a bit of traffic furniture.
I've unfortunately seen this happen, when many years ago, I witnessed a taxi driver have his arm torn off by a bus at a cross roads. It wasn't pretty.
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Agree totally abou the legs on dashborad problem - have seen loads doing it on our trips to/from the coast.
As regards luggage being lethal - I saw a motoring show recently (can't recall which) which showed the effects of various items of unsecured luggage in a crash at just 30mph (IIRC). It was quite staggering, even seemingli innocuous items like books and nodding dogs on rear parcel shelves became deadly weapons hurtling through the air. Moreso tools and heavy/hard items which could even find their way through the rear seats! It was a real eye opener and contained a lot of good advice not the least of which was secure all loads, keep the heaviest items low down and close to any seat backs and remove all items from the parcel shelf. I wish I could recall the name of the show but it was probably Top Gear or Fifth Gear.
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I think it was actually one of those 'health and safety' type programmes on BBC1. I seem to remember them saying that if you have anything in the boot you should secure the seatbelts on the back seats so that in the event of a crash the seatbelts help prevent the back seats crumpling from the pressure of the items behind them.
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If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished
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Not trying to change the subject, but while people are here, and interested in sfety, I thought I'd share the information that it's very important to go for a comfort break when neccessary, as if you have a crash with a full bladder, your chances of survival are drastically reduced! That's what I was taught anyway - don't hang on, stay empty as much as possible. Obviously this is more important at high speeds such as motorways etc.. not crawling around cities.
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If you very nearly have a crash with a full bladder, that can be very unfortunate too.
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If you very nearly have a crash with a full bladder, that can be very unfortunate too.
Negates the need for stopping, though....
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>> If you very nearly have a crash with a full bladder, >> that can be very unfortunate too. >> Negates the need for stopping, though....
But what about the mopping?
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ROFL!
I was going to ask what happens (apart from the obvious) if you do have an accident with a full bladder, but on second thoughts I think I'd rather not know.
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Several things flash through your mind. In no particular order:
Glad I chose the leather
Ooops, shouldn't have opted for the mid-grey flannel suit today
I wonder if I can blame the dog
I'm bleeding! I'm bleeding, I..... Oh. Errrr. No, really I'm fine. I'll just pass you my insurance details through this partially open window. Smell? What smell?
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ND,
I'm worried that it may be more than a mere inadvertent release.
Along the lines of excessive hydrostatic pressure causing rupture or other mechanical failure of surrounding structures.....
[but I'm really trying not to think about it]
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No, I don't mean you get a wet seat, I mean you die of toxins leaking in your body as your bladder bursts and swamps your innards with pee.... :o(
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more info on the topic of exploding bladders!
www8.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept16498/files/1...l
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If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished
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Yep I think you could be right about that Jane. What amazed me most was the way in which the various items just took off at what seems such a low impact speed. Imagine the scene at 70mph!!!
I sometimes carry a big heavy tool box filled with potentially 'deadly' items. Since watching that programme I always keep it on the car floor touching the seat back rather than on the seat as I used to. Makes me shudder to think what would have happened to me if I'd been involved in an accident with that thing right behind me!
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I sometimes carry a big heavy tool box filled with potentially 'deadly' items. Since watching that programme I always keep it on the car floor touching
>>the seat back rather than on the seat as I used to. Makes me shudder to think what would have happened to me if I'd been involved in an accident with that thing right behind me!
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It makes me shudder at all the end of term students transiting with vehicles up to the roof with all the must have items of modern life.
I guess my Mondeo saloon is a little safer than a hatchback version. I think I will get a cargo net as a means of keeping things up against the rear seats.
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Same here. I remember one incident on the M25 some years ago when I had to brake hard (I wasn't concentrating enough to my eternal shame) and the laptop I had in the boot burst through the split rear seat and hit me in the back!
This taught me two lessons. Firstly, make sure that anything in the boot is secured appropriately, and second, ensure that if I've had the back seats down, make sure they're locked in place properly.
Whenever I need to take my toolkit around now, I stow it in the rear passenger's footwell where it fits like a glove.
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