Choosing where to sit in a car isn’t something you usually think about. However, there is one seat that is safer than the driver’s seat. If you want to avoid increasing your risk of injury in a crash, we tell you where you should sit unless you’re driving.
With safety and comfort in mind it is important to consider where we sit when taking a taxi, Uber or BlaBlaCar. Depending on the type of vehicle and its configuration, some seats may be safer than others in the event of a crash. In general, the rear seats are safer than the front seats, as they are further away from the points of impact and are protected by the front seats.
Rear Middle Seat: Safest
The rear middle seat can be considered as one of the safest places in the car due to several factors. Some of the reasons could be:
- Distance to points of impact: This seat is furthest from points of impact in a collision, such as the side of the vehicle. This means there is a greater safe distance from external contact points, reducing the potential for injury in the event of an accident.
- Side Impact Protection: In the event of a side collision, the rear center seat provides more protection than the outboard seats. Being located between the two front seats, the occupant has an additional barrier of protection on both sides, such as armrests and the clearance of adjacent seats.
- Vehicle Structure: Car manufacturers often design a vehicle structure keeping in mind the safety of passengers in the event of a crash. On many models, the rear center seat is located in a reinforced frame section or area of increased structural strength for added safety.
- Seat Belts: The middle seat usually has the same three-point seat belt as the front seats. This type of belt provides a more secure and effective restraint than the two-point belt typically found in rear outboard seats. Three-point seat belts optimally distribute impact forces in the event of a collision, reducing the risk of serious injury.
However, it is important to note that safety in a car also depends on other factors, such as the design and quality of the vehicle’s active and passive safety systems, such as airbags, braking systems and the absorption characteristics of impacts. In addition, safety is also affected by the correct use of seat belts and the proper installation of child restraint systems.
Co-pilot is the least protected
After the rear middle seat, the next safest seat is in the rear of the vehicle, specifically on the right side opposite the driver. This position offers some advantages in terms of security for the occupants.
As for the passenger seat, unfortunately, it is considered the least safe. In the event of a frontal collision, the front passenger seat passenger is at greater risk due to the possibility of the driver turning unintentionally during the collision. This is because the driver instinctively and protectively reacts to his left, which can increase the risk to the passenger in the front passenger seat.
Furthermore, the driver’s seat is also considered less secure than other seats in the vehicle. This is because the driver is directly involved in steering the car and may be more directly affected in the event of a front-on collision.
Following this line, the left rear seat is considered the next in terms of relative safety. While it is not exposed to the same risks as the front passenger or driver’s seat, it does not provide the same safety benefits as the rear center or right rear seat. So now you know where you should never sit.
