I will never forget an image I saw several years ago of a car accident. One driver in that accident had a pen attached to his neck, like a flying dart attached to a dartboard. The driver survived the crash but had to undergo an intense surgical procedure to remove the so-called “pencil” of his neck

A box of weightless tissues, a music CD, a portable iPod, or even a small pen may not seem like deadly objects. However, they sure can be during the impact time of a high-speed car accident. When a crash occurs, speed makes its severity worse by increasing the energy of the impact. The higher the speed of the vehicle, the more severe the impact during the secondary collision of crashes. Secondary collision is when drivers and passengers collide with objects inside the vehicle. That object could definitely be a loose item in the vehicle that has been transformed into a dangerous flying missile during the crash.

When a vehicle and all of its contents, including passengers and objects, are traveling at a high speed, they have inertia, which means they will want to continue forward with that direction and speed. (Newton’s first law of motion). In the event of a sudden deceleration of a rigid framed vehicle due to impact, unrestrained contents within the vehicle will continue to move at their previous speed due to inertia. They will impact the interior of the vehicle with a force equivalent to many times their normal weight due to gravity. During this terrifying situation in a high-speed car accident, a “tissue box” it can transform into a heavy brick and has been cited as a cause of death in at least one accident. And yes, a “small pen” can be transformed into a flying arrow or dart.

Thousands of people have been seriously injured and killed in car accidents primarily due to secondary collision with an unsecured object in the vehicle. So, this is where prevention can be your lifeline to prevent these tragic situations from happening. Some tips to keep in mind:

  • The first prevention tip is obvious, but should never be underestimated, and it is “don’t speed up”; to reiterate, the higher the speed, the heavier the object in a car accident.
  • The second prevention tip is to ask yourself if an object needs to be inside your vehicle, for example. “Is it really necessary to have 60 music CDs in my car?” The more objects inside the vehicle, the greater the chance that they could hit victims like flying missiles in a crash; In other words, “less is better.”
  • The third prevention tip is to secure the objects that are necessary to travel with you in a motor vehicle, keep them in the glove compartment of the vehicle or inside the trunk. It is also invaluable advice when it comes to car theft prevention.

We can all do our part to not become targets of flying missiles in car accidents. Be aware of the dangers that are both inside and outside your vehicle. Reduce the items you carry inside your vehicle and store them in the glove box or trunk.

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