If you have a car with a high safety rating and you always use your seat belt, you may think that you are safe when you drive. However, it only takes one unrestrained object in your car to negate all of its safety features. The reason is that although you are restrained from becoming a projectile in a crash, loose objects are not. High speed crashes can fling solid objects such as cell phones, suitcases, mugs, thermos bottles or other cargo onto a person's head at speeds higher than most people can throw.

Unrestrained Cargo in the Trunk

Unrestrained objects can produce tremendous destructive energy in a high speed collision. For example, the commercial actress Ludy Galiana was killed by a small toolbox that was in the trunk of her car. She was sitting in the back seat when her car collided head on with a pickup truck. The toolbox in the trunk slammed against the backseat and broke it from its anchors. The toolbox and backseat smashed into Ludy Galiana where she was crushed against her seat belt. Unrestrained objects in a trunk can generate enough force to break through backseats that aren't designed to contain them in high speed accidents.

Unrestrained Passengers

Another hazard are passengers who fail to use their seat belts. They not only endanger themselves, but also the lives of others in the car because they become human projectiles. They endanger the people in front of them in front-on collisions and everyone around them in rollover accidents. Pets also present a similar hazard. Always insist that everyone wear seat belts and be sure to restrain your pets.

Securing Objects

Keep your car as uncluttered as possible. Place small objects such as your cell phone into the glove compartment. Unsecured objects should be placed as low in the car as possible. This means that placing them on the floor is safer than on a seat. Unsecured objects on the floor are still a hazard however.

Make sure that your spare tire is properly secured in the trunk. Other heavy objects in the trunk should be placed up against the back seat and spread out so that the load is evenly distributed. When purchasing your next car, find one that better protects passengers from cargo in the trunk.

Use the cargo cover if you drive an SUV. If you don't have a cargo cover, buy commercial products specifically designed for the purpose, such as cargo nets that have secure anchors. If you don't need to bring something with you, leave it at home.

Our goal is your safety. Call Tanenbaum Harber Insurance Group for more information on auto insurance.