| Upwards of 3 million car crashes occur each year in | | | | not look into the rear view mirror. Head tilt up, down |
| the US. 93% of those are said to be due to driver | | | | or to the side will make neck damage worse. Look |
| error.[1] Many crashes are low speed and result in no | | | | straight ahead and brace for it. |
| apparent injury, but a significant number of crashes | | | | When stopping at an intersection to make a left turn |
| cause serious injury and long term consequences for | | | | or in the right lane to make a right turn, keep your |
| the victims. Up to 40% of whiplash injuries become | | | | car headed straight ahead until you are ready to turn |
| chronic painful conditions. [2] | | | | and move through the intersection. If you "cheat" |
| In an effort to reduce the number of whiplash | | | | and angle your car while waiting in the intersection |
| injuries due to car crashes, I am sharing information | | | | you are opening yourself up to greater injury by |
| on how to avoid suffering a whiplash injury. You have | | | | being turned at impact. Worse, in the case of making |
| very little control over someone crashing into you. | | | | a left turn, if your wheels re turned and you |
| And you have very little control once you are hit | | | | unexpectedly get hit from behind, your vehicle is |
| over how badly you will be injured. So the premise of | | | | likely to get pushed wherever your wheels are |
| this article is to provide practical tips on how to | | | | aimed, which means right into oncoming traffic! Keep |
| minimize injuries when you are faced with the | | | | the wheels straight until its time to go. |
| inevitable collision. | | | | Factor 4: Expect a second impact |
| Whiplash injuries result from shearing forces in the | | | | Once the initial collision occurs and you are properly |
| neck due to the vehicle being propelled forward while | | | | braced you need to ride out the collision, keeping |
| the head and neck stay momentarily stationary. The | | | | your foot hard on the brakes until you come to a |
| neck takes on an "S' shaped deformation resulting in | | | | stop. But you're not out of the woods yet. Be |
| damage to the muscles, ligaments, discs, nerves and | | | | prepared to hit the vehicle in front of you! Keep |
| joints. Injuries may occur in very low speed collisions | | | | bracing. If you miss the vehicle in front, do not let up |
| of only 2.5 mph. By the time you are conscious of | | | | yet. Keep bracing for several more seconds until you |
| the impact, your neck is damaged.[3] [4] [5] | | | | are absolutely sure there are not going to be more |
| In our previous article you learned the one thing to | | | | collisions behind you. This is especially important on |
| do to prevent whiplash is to adjust your head | | | | freeways where there tends to be multiple car |
| restraint properly. [6] [7] | | | | collisions. Let your guard down too soon and even |
| This article will address a few of the many factors | | | | though you avoided injuries from the first impact, a |
| researchers have discovered aggravate or intensify | | | | second one may hit the vehicle that hit you and |
| whiplash injuries. These factors relate to what you | | | | bang, you're unprepared and injured. |
| can do to prevent or minimize an injury when faced | | | | Millions of collisions occur every year leaving |
| with a certain collision. | | | | thousands to suffer long term pain and disability. Most |
| Factor 1: Awareness | | | | of the time it is out of your control whether or not |
| Occupants who have no prior knowledge to a crash | | | | you get hit, but you can take steps to prevent or |
| are 15 times more likely to suffer injury. [8] With this | | | | minimize injuries. Learn these tips and teach them to |
| in mind it makes sense to avoid an injury you need | | | | your family and friends so that they too will avoid |
| to be aware of your surroundings and watch your | | | | becoming a crash statistic. |
| rear view mirror when stopping at lights or in stop | | | | In the next article of this series, I will explain what |
| and go traffic on the freeway. Be aware of tires | | | | you MUST do immediately after the collision... |
| squeals and sounds of collisions behind. If you see a | | | | References |
| collision coming you will know what to do with the | | | | [1] Chapline JF, Ferguson SA, Lillis RP, Lund AK, |
| next tip. | | | | Williams AF. Neck pain and head restraint position |
| Factor 2: Bracing | | | | relative to the driver's head in rear-end collisions. |
| According to researcher Teasell injury is greater | | | | Accident Analysis and Prevention 32:287-297, 2000 |
| "when the impact is unexpected and the victims is | | | | [2] Barnsley, Lord, Bogduk, Whiplash Injury Clinical |
| unable to brace."[8] Anyone who watched Star Trek | | | | Review, Pain 58, 1994, pp. 283-307 |
| or old WWII submarine movies knows this. When | | | | [3] Panjabi MM, Grauer JN (1997): "Whiplash produces |
| faced with a crash "go to battle stations." The | | | | a S-shape curvature of the neck with hyperextension |
| command "brace! brace! brace!" should come to mind. | | | | at lower levels. " Spine 22 (21): 2489-94. |
| The second you notice another vehicle may strike | | | | [4] Panjabi MM, Cholewicki J, Nibu K, Grauer JN, Babat |
| you, brace for the crash by leaning your head against | | | | LB, Dvorak J, Bar HF (1998-12-01): "[Biomechanics of |
| the head restraint and your body back against the | | | | whiplash injury]." Orthopade 1998 Dec; 27(12): 813-9. |
| seat. If you're the driver put both hands on the | | | | [5] Koji Kaneoka, Koshiro Ono, Satoshi Inami and |
| steering wheel and stretch your arms out to push | | | | Koichiro Hayashi (99-04-15). "Motion analysis of |
| yourself back into the seat. Firmly plant your foot on | | | | cervical vertebrae during whiplash loading." Spine |
| the brake and the other foot on the floor. By bracing | | | | 24(8): 763-770 |
| like this your entire body becomes rigid and is | | | | [6] John R Brault, MS, Jeffrey B Wheeler, MS, Gunter |
| essentially part of the car. Bracing like this will prevent | | | | P Siegmund, BASc, Elaine J Brault, MS, PT Clinical |
| injuries in just about any low speed collision and will | | | | Response of Human Subjects to Rear-End |
| minimize damage in higher speed collisions. If you | | | | Automobile Collisions. Arch Phys Med Rehabil Vol 79, |
| have passengers command everyone to "lean back, | | | | January 1998 |
| hold on!" | | | | [7] Barry L. Marks, DC One Simple Thing to Avoid |
| Factor 3: Body position | | | | Whiplash. March 2008. |
| Injuries are magnified by your head, body or the | | | | [8] Teasell in Spine: State of the Art Reviews: |
| vehicle itself being turned at an angle.[9] For | | | | Cervical Flexion-Extension/Whiplash Injuries, Hanley |
| maximum protection you want both sides of your | | | | & Belfus, September 1993, p. 360. |
| muscles and ligaments to bear the load of a collision. | | | | [9] Havsy, in the Amer. Journal of Pain Management, |
| If your head is turned, only one side is working and | | | | Whiplash Injuries of the Cervical Spine and their |
| you suffer greater damage. So, when the collision is | | | | Clinical Sequelae, January 1994, p. 30. |
| imminent and you are bracing look straight ahead. Do | | | | |