Dr. Maya Pande
What Not To Do On Long Car Rides

With travel choices at a minimum, this year people are going on road trips and long car rides more than ever. While you're cruising down the highway, you'll notice car passengers who prop their feet on the dashboard or out the window. You might even be someone who does that. What could possibly be wrong with this? We have so many restrictions right now, you might be thinking "Can't I just feel the wind through my toes?" I know, I know. It seems like innocent summer fun and a way to feel free but it's actually quite dangerous in the event of a car accident! Imagine this: You're traveling down the highway at 100-120 km/hour, your passenger's feet are up, the car in front brakes unexpectedly and you hit it. The impact crumples your front fender and hood. The force causes your head and body go back and forth. You probably end up with have whiplash and other soft tissue injuries. However, your passenger is suffering more than you. The accident caused the the dashboard to move towards them and their legs were forced to bend quickly and hard, leading to sprains or fractures of their hips, knees and feet! If the airbags deploy (at speeds between 100 and 300 km/hr) even more damage can occur. You could lose a limb!
You never know when a car accident can occur so it's safer to keep your feet on the floor of the car and wait to stretch your legs when the car has stopped.