You shouldn’t allow passengers to ride with their feet on the dashboard because in a crash, airbags deploy at high speed and force. If your feet are up, airbags can slam your legs into your face or chest, causing broken bones, dislocations, or even life-changing injuries. Keeping your feet down protects you from severe trauma that can easily be avoided with a safer posture.
Riding with your feet on the dashboard may seem comfortable, but it poses serious risks in the event of a car crash. Airbags deploy with tremendous force, and improper seating positions can lead to severe, life-altering injuries.
In this article, our car accident attorneys explore the danger of riding with your feet on the dashboard, what could happen during a crash involving an airbag deployment, and the injuries passengers can avoid by sitting properly.
The Danger of Sitting Improperly with Feet on the Dashboard
Sitting improperly with your feet on the dashboard is more than just a bad habit—it can be life-threatening. In a collision, the passenger airbag deploys at speeds up to 200 miles per hour with immense force. If your feet are on the dash, this force pushes your legs backward violently, causing severe injuries to your knees, hips, and pelvis.
This dangerous position compromises the effectiveness of the vehicle’s safety features. Airbags and seatbelts are designed to protect passengers who are seated properly, with feet on the floor and back against the seat. When feet rest on the dashboard, these systems cannot work as intended, increasing the risk of catastrophic injuries.
Many passengers may not realize the severity of the risk. The sudden impact can cause various severe airbag injuries, including bones to break, joints to dislocate, and even lead to paralysis. These injuries often require extensive medical treatment, surgeries, and long rehabilitation periods.
Moreover, improper seating can complicate legal claims after an accident. Insurance companies might argue that sitting with feet on the dash contributed to the injuries, potentially reducing compensation eligibility.
Ultimately, the simple act of keeping your feet on the floor is a crucial safety measure. It ensures that airbags and seatbelts function properly, protecting you from avoidable, life-altering harm. Making this small change can save lives and prevent devastating injuries during a crash.
15 Severe Injuries Passengers Can Suffer
Riding with your feet on the dashboard might feel relaxing or comfortable during a car trip, but it is a dangerous habit that greatly increases the risk of serious injury in the event of a crash. Modern vehicles are equipped with safety features like airbags designed to protect passengers during collisions, but these systems work effectively only when passengers are seated properly.
Here are some of the most severe injuries passengers can suffer when sitting with their feet on the dashboard during a crash involving airbag deployment.
1. Broken legs
Having your feet on the dash during a crash greatly increases the risk of broken legs. When the passenger airbag deploys, it pushes your legs backward with tremendous force. This unnatural pressure can easily cause fractures in the bones of your lower legs, such as the tibia and fibula.
Broken legs are painful injuries that often require surgery, casting, and months of recovery. They can also lead to long-term mobility issues if not treated properly.
Keeping your feet on the floor helps your legs stay in a safer position, reducing the chance of breaks during a collision. It’s a simple habit that can save you from severe pain and long-term problems.
2. Dislocated hips
Having your feet on the dash during a crash greatly increases the risk of dislocated hips. When the passenger airbag deploys, it pushes your legs backward with immense force. This sudden, unnatural movement can cause your hip joints to pop out of place, leading to dislocation.
Dislocated hips are extremely painful and often require emergency medical treatment to realign the joint. Recovery can involve surgery, physical therapy, and months of limited mobility.
This injury can also cause damage to surrounding nerves and blood vessels, complicating recovery. Keeping your feet on the floor during a ride helps maintain a safer position, reducing the risk of hip dislocation in a crash. It’s a simple habit that can protect you from serious, long-lasting harm.ted hips
3. Shattered knees
Having your feet on the dash during a crash greatly increases the risk of shattered knees. When the passenger airbag deploys, it does so with explosive force, pushing your legs backward violently. This sudden impact can cause the knee bones to break into multiple fragments, known as comminuted fractures. Such injuries are extremely painful and often require complex surgeries to repair the damage.
Shattered knees can lead to long-term mobility issues, arthritis, and chronic pain. Recovery involves months of physical therapy and sometimes multiple operations. The knees are crucial for walking and balance, so damage here affects everyday life significantly.
Keeping your feet on the floor during a ride helps keep your knees in a safer position, greatly reducing the risk of this severe injury.
4. Femur fractures
Having your feet on the dash during a crash significantly raises the risk of femur fractures. The femur, or thigh bone, is the longest and strongest bone in your body. When the passenger airbag deploys, it pushes your legs backward with extreme force. This sudden impact can cause the femur to break or shatter, which is a serious injury requiring immediate medical attention.
Femur fractures are painful and often need surgery to realign the bone and stabilize it with rods or plates. Recovery can take months and may involve physical therapy to regain strength and mobility.
Keeping your feet on the floor helps maintain a safer leg position, reducing the chance of femur fractures during a collision. It’s a simple but crucial habit to protect yourself in the passenger seat.
5. Pelvic fractures
Having your feet on the dash during a crash greatly increases the risk of pelvic fractures. When the passenger airbag deploys, the force pushes your legs backward with intense pressure. This sudden, unnatural movement can cause the pelvic bones to break or shatter. Pelvic fractures are serious injuries that often require immediate medical attention, including surgery and long recovery periods.
These fractures can damage nearby blood vessels and organs, leading to heavy internal bleeding and complications. Recovery can be painful and may involve physical therapy to regain mobility and strength.
Keeping your feet on the floor helps maintain a safer position, reducing the risk of pelvic fractures in a crash. It’s a simple habit that protects your core and can prevent life-altering injuries.
6. Facial injuries
Having your feet on the dash during a crash greatly increases the risk of facial injuries. When the airbag deploys, it pushes your legs backward with force, which can cause your face to slam into the dashboard, windshield, or other hard surfaces. This impact can lead to broken bones in the face, including the nose, cheekbones, and jaw.
Facial injuries can also include deep cuts, bruises, and swelling. These injuries are not only painful but can also require surgery, dental work, and long recovery times. Scarring and disfigurement are common concerns.
Keeping your feet on the floor helps keep your body in a safer position, reducing the chance of your face hitting hard surfaces during a crash. It’s a simple way to protect yourself from serious facial trauma.
7. Traumatic brain injuries
Having your feet on the dash during a crash significantly raises the risk of traumatic brain injuries. When the passenger airbag deploys, it does so with extreme force, and if your legs are elevated, your body’s position changes, increasing the chance of your head striking parts of the car interior or being violently jolted.
This can cause concussions, brain swelling, or bleeding inside the brain, all of which are serious medical emergencies. Traumatic brain injuries can result in memory loss, confusion, headaches, and long-term cognitive problems.
Because the brain is delicate, even a small injury can have lasting effects. This is why sitting properly with feet on the floor is essential—it helps keep your head and body aligned and protected during a crash.
8. Internal organ damage
When your feet are on the dash during a crash, the force of the airbag combined with the seatbelt can cause severe internal organ damage.
The impact may push your body downward and cause the seatbelt to compress your abdomen and chest violently. This can lead to ruptured organs like the bowel, torn aorta, or damage to the liver and spleen.
These injuries are life-threatening and require immediate emergency medical care. Internal organ damage can lead to long hospital stays, surgeries, and a difficult recovery process.
9. Severe lacerations
Having your feet on the dashboard increases the risk of severe lacerations during a crash.
The forceful deployment of the airbag can propel your legs into sharp objects or broken glass inside the vehicle. These cuts can be deep and may damage muscles, tendons, or blood vessels.
Severe lacerations often require stitches or surgery and can lead to significant blood loss and infection. Proper seating position reduces this risk drastically.
10. Amputations
One of the most catastrophic injuries from resting feet on the dash is amputation.
The violent force of the airbag and the collision can crush or sever limbs, especially the legs and feet. Amputations cause permanent disability and require extensive medical treatment, including surgery, physical therapy, and prosthetics.
This injury profoundly impacts quality of life. Avoiding this risk is simple: keep your feet on the floor and wear your seatbelt properly at all times.
11. Burns
When your feet are on the dash during a crash, burns can occur due to the rapid deployment of the passenger airbag. Airbags deploy with incredible force—up to 200 miles per hour—and the heat generated can cause serious burns to your legs and feet.
The airbag inflates in milliseconds, and if your feet are resting on the dashboard, they are directly in the path of this explosive force. This can lead to friction burns, thermal burns, or even chemical burns from the substances used in the airbag’s deployment.
These burns are painful and may require immediate medical attention, including wound care and sometimes surgery. Burns can also lead to long-term scarring and mobility issues.
This risk is just one more reason why resting your feet on the dash is a dangerous habit. The safety features in vehicles are designed to protect you only if you are sitting properly—with your feet on the floor and seatbelt fastened securely. Avoid burns and other injuries by keeping your feet where they belong during every ride.
12. Spinal cord injuries
One of the most severe risks of having your feet on the dash during a crash is spinal cord injury. When the passenger airbag deploys, it does so with extreme force—up to 200 miles per hour. If your legs are on the dashboard, this force can push your knees and hips backward unnaturally, causing the spinal column to twist or compress.
This can result in partial or complete paralysis, affecting movement and sensation below the injury site. The impact may damage nerves permanently, leading to lifelong disability.
Spinal cord injuries require immediate medical attention and often long-term rehabilitation. This risk highlights why sitting properly—with feet on the floor and seatbelt fastened—is crucial for your safety in any vehicle ride.
13. Paralysis
Paralysis is one of the most devastating potential outcomes of a spinal cord injury caused by having your feet on the dash during a car crash. The unnatural force exerted on the spine when the airbag deploys can damage or sever the spinal cord, disrupting the communication between the brain and the rest of the body. This can lead to partial or complete loss of movement and sensation below the injury site.
The severity of paralysis depends on the location and extent of the spinal cord damage. Injuries higher up in the spine can result in quadriplegia, affecting all four limbs, while lower injuries may cause paraplegia, impacting only the legs. Both types of paralysis profoundly affect a person’s independence and quality of life.
Recovery from paralysis is often limited, requiring extensive medical treatment, physical therapy, and adaptive support. This highlights the critical importance of sitting properly with feet on the floor to minimize the risk of such life-altering injuries.
14. Dental injuries
Having your feet on the dash during a car crash significantly raises the risk of dental injuries. When the passenger airbag deploys, the force pushes your legs backward, which can cause your face to collide with the dashboard, windshield, or other hard surfaces inside the vehicle. This impact can lead to broken or chipped teeth, fractured jaws, or even tooth loss. Dental injuries are not only painful but often require extensive dental work, including root canals, crowns, or oral surgery, which can be costly and time-consuming to treat.
In addition to the immediate pain and damage, dental injuries can have long-term consequences. Misaligned bites, difficulty chewing, and speech problems can arise from untreated or improperly managed injuries. The emotional impact of dental trauma, including changes in appearance and self-confidence, should not be underestimated. Proper seating with feet on the floor helps keep your body aligned and reduces the likelihood of facial impacts during a crash.
Emergency medical care is crucial for dental injuries sustained in a crash. A trauma surgeon or dental specialist should evaluate the extent of the damage as soon as possible to prevent complications and improve recovery outcomes. This is yet another compelling reason to avoid resting your feet on the dash—doing so can turn a survivable accident into a life-altering event with severe dental trauma.
15. Chest trauma
Having your feet on the dash during a car crash significantly increases the risk of chest trauma. When the passenger airbag deploys with tremendous force, your legs are pushed backward, which can cause your upper body to lurch forward violently. This sudden movement can result in severe injuries to the chest area, including broken ribs, bruised lungs, or damage to the heart and major blood vessels. The impact from the seatbelt, combined with the force of the airbag, can also cause internal bleeding and organ damage.
Chest trauma is a serious injury that often requires immediate medical attention. Broken ribs can make breathing difficult and increase the risk of lung punctures or infections. Damage to the heart or aorta can be life-threatening and may require emergency surgery. Recovery from chest trauma can be painful and prolonged, often involving hospitalization, pain management, and physical therapy to regain full respiratory function.
To avoid these dangers, it is crucial to keep your feet on the floor and sit properly in the passenger seat. Proper seating helps ensure that safety features like airbags and seatbelts function as designed, providing protection rather than causing harm. Remember, the risk of severe chest trauma and other injuries dramatically increases when you rest your feet on the dash during a car ride.
Things You Should Understand About Airbags During a Car Crash
Airbags are critical safety features designed to protect passengers during a collision by deploying rapidly to cushion and reduce the impact on the body. However, their effectiveness depends heavily on passengers sitting properly, as improper positioning—such as having feet on the dash—can turn airbags into sources of severe injury.
- Rapid Deployment: Airbags inflate within milliseconds at speeds up to 200 miles per hour to provide a protective barrier between passengers and the vehicle’s interior. This sudden inflation is powerful and can cause serious harm if body parts are in the wrong position.
- Designed for Upright Seating: Airbags and seatbelts are engineered to work together when passengers are seated upright with feet on the floor. Sitting improperly, like resting feet on the dashboard, disrupts this safety mechanism, increasing injury risks.
- Force of Impact: The force exerted by an airbag during deployment is substantial and meant to absorb the energy of a crash. If legs or feet are on the dash, this force can push them violently backward, causing fractures or dislocations.
- Risk of Secondary Injuries: Improper seating can cause passengers to slip under the seatbelt or be thrown into hard surfaces inside the car. This increases the chances of internal injuries, broken bones, and severe trauma.
- Safety Feature Limitations: While airbags save lives, they are not foolproof and cannot protect passengers who are not properly positioned. Passengers must always maintain correct posture to maximize the protective benefits of airbags.
Understanding these key points about airbags highlights why it’s essential to keep feet on the floor and sit properly during every car ride to minimize the risk of avoidable injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it dangerous to put feet on the dash while riding in a car?
Resting feet on the dash during a crash can cause severe injuries because airbags deploy with great force. Legs pushed backward can break bones, dislocate hips, or cause facial injuries, making this a very risky and potentially life-changing habit.
Can airbags cause injuries if I have my feet on the dashboard?
Yes, airbags deploy rapidly and with immense force. If your feet are on the dashboard, the airbag can slam your legs back violently, causing fractures, dislocations, or even paralysis. Proper seating reduces these risks significantly.
What types of injuries can result from sitting improperly with feet on the dash?
Injuries include broken legs, dislocated hips, shattered knees, pelvic fractures, facial trauma, brain injuries, internal organ damage, amputations, burns, and spinal cord injuries. All these can lead to long-term disability or even death.
Does sitting improperly affect legal claims after a car accident?
Yes, sitting improperly may complicate personal injury claims. Insurance companies might argue partial fault, reducing compensation eligibility. However, injured passengers can still qualify for damages depending on the degree of fault and local laws.
Is it illegal to put feet on the dashboard while riding as a passenger?
Generally, it is not illegal to rest feet on the dashboard, but it is highly unsafe. Laws vary by location, but safety experts strongly advise against it to prevent severe injuries in the event of a crash.
How fast do airbags deploy during a crash?
Airbags deploy extremely fast, typically between 100 to 220 miles per hour, inflating in milliseconds. This rapid deployment is designed to protect passengers but can cause severe injuries if the body is improperly positioned.
Can sitting with feet on the dash cause paralysis?
Yes, the force from airbags can cause spinal cord injuries if legs are on the dash, possibly leading to partial or complete paralysis. Proper seating helps protect the spine by ensuring airbags and seatbelts work as intended.
What should passengers do to stay safe in a car?
Passengers should always sit upright with feet on the floor and wear seatbelts properly. This position allows airbags and other safety features to function correctly, reducing the risk of severe injuries during crashes.
Why do some people put their feet on the dashboard despite the risks?
Passengers may find it comfortable or relaxing, especially on long trips. However, this habit ignores the serious risks involved. Education and awareness campaigns are important to change this dangerous behavior.
What immediate actions should be taken if injured with feet on the dash in a crash?
Seek emergency medical attention immediately, as injuries can be severe and life-threatening. Contact a personal injury lawyer experienced in car accidents to understand legal rights and ensure proper compensation for medical expenses and damages.
Final Thoughts
Resting your feet on the dash may seem like a harmless way to get comfortable during a car ride, but it is a bad idea that can lead to devastating injuries in the event of a crash. The combined experience of trauma surgeons and safety experts clearly shows that improper seating positions significantly increase the risk of severe injuries such as broken bones, dislocated hips, spinal cord damage, and even paralysis or death. Airbags deploy with tremendous force designed to protect passengers sitting properly, but with feet on the dashboard, this force can cause catastrophic harm.
Passengers should always expect that crashes can happen at any moment and understand the importance of sitting correctly with feet on the floor and seatbelts fastened. This simple safety measure is crucial for allowing airbags and other vehicle safety features to work as intended, protecting you from avoidable injuries.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident while sitting improperly, it is important to seek immediate medical attention and consult with a knowledgeable legal team. Understanding the risks and taking the right precautions can save lives and prevent life-changing injuries. Remember, the message is clear: keep your feet on the floor, stay safe, and help spread awareness about the dangers of feet on the dash.
