Greg Smith

Let's say that for whatever reason you know you're going to hit a wall or car head on. What can you do to help avoid injury? I think I once heard someone say to make an X across your chest with your arms to keep from breaking your wrists on the wheel. How about your feet? ... and for a side impact? Rear impact? etc.... Any thoughts?

DanR

I know the rally guys always grab the wings on the halo seats and try and place their feet flat on the floor to avoid pedal ingress. (unless of course they are still breaking to scrub speed) Those boys have a tendency to practice this more than others as well! Having had one BIG road accident, you are for the most part along for the ride and whilst position things may help I guess it comes down to the level of prep you have (ie safety features)

RedlineMan

Hey;

- Do let go of the wheel, and do cross your arms. Hopefully you are strong enough to resist the kinetic energy that will try and rip them off. If you are, you will not only help keep them from getting broken, but you will also help your shoulder straps to stay on your shoulders. Think about this, HANS users!!

- Lean INTO the impact. By leaning against whatever bolstering your body can find, you will likely REDUCE the impact that your body will receive if it were to travel across space before hiitting that bolster. If you're going to back straight in, stuff your torso and head against the seat/head rest as hard as you can. If you're hitting driver's left, stick your torso into the left seat bolster, and BOTH your legs over against the seat and the inner rocker sill. Many neck injuries result from the head slamming into the seat back and then recoiling violently forward (secondary whiplash effect), and leg injuries from the distant leg slamming into the other, or the chassis. If you're going straight in, lean into the belts. Like a pre-tensioner, eh? All of this by way of reducing the free movement of the body, reducing KE, and therefore the severity of the impact.

Bull

IF you have time and presence of mind, cross your arms and feet flat. A couple of seasons ago at WG we had a drover continue to press hard on the brake as he slammed into the wall between T8 and T9. He ended up with 5 breaks in his right foot.

Professor Helmüt Tester

Got lots of experience here.

In a word - "Turtle".

Get hands off steering wheel. Preferably, cross them on your chest. Remove feet from pedals. Relax.

Then - Remain seated until the the car stops moving. Then remain seated some more. Collect what wits you have, see if all your parts are attached and undamaged (man-bits at big risk from the sub belts), and try and spot a corner worker. If your personal inventory is intact and undamaged, and you don't see flames anywhere, give the corner worker a "thumbs-up". Remain belted in until either all traffic has stopped, or is long gone, or you see / feel flames. Flames ? Bail.

Larry Herman

Make sure that the thought "why me?" goes through your mind about a hundred times.

Professor Helmüt Tester

"Why me ?" my ***. More like "Not again !!?!!!?!"

(and even "Not again TODAY !!!?!?!?!")

Larry Herman

Yeah but you don't have a wife at home saying "What did you do now you big dummy? Did you wreck your car?"

Lemming

Tighten your sphincter! Oh wait, that occurs naturally

Chads996

Suggestion:

jgrant

Maintain your cool, and be serene, and be aware that somebody, somewhere, will post pictures or video of the crash.

Case in point: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=256083

Lemming

That's a pretty cool pic. The look is quite calm

jgrant

Jack Olsen is THE MAN.

That picture even spawned a little caption contest thread.

Veloce Raptor

One more thing to add to this thread: if you're in a vehicle with airbag(s), hold yoru breath right before impact. Trust me, you do NOT want to breathe in the airbag propellant, and the normal human tendency when frightened is to inhale sharply.







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

J richard

or just jump out of the car flailing like a pansy.....