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Lethal weapons


Lethal weapons inside your car

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Picture driving home at 50 km/h with the groceries in the back seat. Now imagine what would happen if the same groceries fell on you from the second floor of a building. Why are these activities related? Because, in a sudden stop, unsecured shopping will hit you at the same speed and possibly cause you just as much harm.

"Documented in crash investigation cases, small things unsecured in your car can turn into life threatening projectiles," according to NRMA Motoring & Services Vehicle Policy Specialist, Jack Haley. "A typical deceleration in a severe crash is at least 20 times the force of gravity, making the potential impact of an object 20 times its weight." This means a one litre bottle of water packs a 20 kilogram punch in a sudden stop.

"Even mobile phones should be put in the glove box or secured. Think about the impact a small bullet has when fired. It's the same principle with items in your car," says Jack.

"Station wagons and hatchbacks are particularly dangerous," warns Jack. "Unless a cargo barrier is erected, the only safe way to transport goods in these vehicles is by using the tie down hooks or by using a cargo net."

Pets need securing too

A dog in the back of a car may look cute but sudden braking or swerving could transform it into a hurling mass of fur and muscle that could cause fatal injuries. If you're driving at 60 km/h with an unrestrained 20 kilogram dog in your car and it gets thrown onto you, the impact is the same as if it had hit you from a third-floor balcony.

Drivers caught with unrestrained dogs now risk fines and the loss of three demerit points.

"Dog harnesses are available to stop the dog running around inside the vehicle but they are not technically designed to restrain the dog in a crash," says Jack. "In station wagons and hatchbacks, cargo barriers provide the best occupant protection."

NRMA Motoring & Services research conducted by the Monash Accident Research Centre compared the danger of changing radio stations to talking on a hands-free mobile phone and found changing radio stations posed the greater risk. Measuring the reactions of subjects when approaching a pedestrian hazard on the road, drivers distracted by the stereo slowed up to 11 km/h less than those not distracted, and the position of their vehicle wandered 80 cm more than when there was no distraction.

The research also showed that if a distracted driver's reaction time is slowed by even half a second, the car will travel eight metres more at 60 km/h or 14 metres more at 100 km/h, before the brakes are applied.

"The rise in popularity of complex in-car entertainment systems and DVDs are a new threat to road safety. Fiddling with the radio, map reading, grooming, smoking, eating and drinking while driving also directly increases our risk of distraction and adversely impacts on our driving ability. Sometimes it's the small things that can have devastating consequences."

Commom dangers
Handbags and briefcase Laptops
Mobile phones GPS
Pets Umbrellas, tissue boxes
Shopping bags and suitcase Children's toys
Photographic/make-up boxes Golf clubs and tennis racquet
Fire extinguishers Tools

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