This Is Exactly Why You Shouldn't Rest Your Feet On The Dashboard
It was only last week that we reported on the damage that an exploding airbag can do even to a windscreen, but now here’s a rather sobering outlook on what the safety device can do to a human who decides to rest their feet on the dashboard.
Audra Tatum was a passenger when her husband was driving them both to pick up their kids on a random Wednesday in August two years ago. A car cut in front of them, apparently causing a T-bone crash that fired both the front airbags while the mother of three had her legs crossed, with a foot on the dashboard.
The force of the bag’s expansion pushed her right leg towards her face so hard that her femur, ankle and nose were all almost instantly broken. She needed several operations and couldn’t even attempt to start walking again for a month.
Something You Need to KnowWhile traveling this weekend, I noticed many passengers had their feet on the dashboard of...
Posted by Chattanooga Fire Department on Thursday, 3 August 2017
Her husband had repeatedly warned her it was dangerous, but she had always rubbished his opinions, telling him she’d always be able to get her legs down in time. She was wrong. In fairness, she admits her mistake now that two years on she’s still struggling with the injuries. She told CBS News:
“All my life I had my legs crossed and my foot on the dash. My husband always told me, ‘You’re going to get in a wreck someday, and you’re going to break your legs.’
“Basically my whole right side was broken, and it’s simply because of my ignorance. I’m not Superman. I couldn’t put my foot down in time. I can’t do my career as an EMS. I can’t lift patients any more. I can’t stand more than four hours at a time. Once I’m at that four-hour mark I’m in tears.
“I keep telling everybody: you don’t want this life. You don’t want the pain and agony every day.”
All the car’s other occupants escaped the crash with nothing more than minor scrapes. Audra is now using her time to try to change people’s habits in terms of how they choose to sit when they ride shotgun.
Via: CBS News
Comments
The thing you don’t realise your doing wrong until it’s too late :(
Hahaha
I got the dashboard finished in leather in my Cayenne, so if someone would try to put his feet on the dash, that 100-220mph airbag deploy speed would be the least to worry about.
What airbags? Don’t seem to have those on my ride…
Wow
I’m 6’6”. I don’t think I’ll be putting my legs on the dashboard anytime soon so I think I’m safe…
Had to explain this to my mum the other day, had the dog in the front foot well so she put her foot up on the dash, driving along a single track blind road where low speed front end collision where common. Would be a really easy way to turn a minor, 10-20mph impact into life changing injuries.
How far do you have to put your seat to get your legs on the dash?
Also, my parents have always taught me to never put legs on the dash board as well as not hold any big objects in your hands (like pots and stuff).
Not far. In fact im 181cm and on my passenger seat I could put my feet up on the dash.. it would just be a little awkward but ive done it a few times (no shoes) when relaxing when the car was parked. Its obviously much more comfortable when tilting the seat a little.
My girlfriend gets this, but she trusts me. I havent crashed in over 20 years now, but I still warn her about it when she does it, you never know. I also dont want anyones nasty feet on my dashboard.
She just wanted to look closer at her knees, move along everyone