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More safety support needed for rear seat passengers

On Behalf of | Jun 10, 2019 | car accidents |

Passengers who frequently ride in the rear seat of the car may have more to worry about in case of a car accident in Minnesota. Of course, the rear seat area is generally safer than the front seat of a vehicle. This is one reason why so many advanced safety technologies are packed into the front seat where the driver and one passenger sit. Cars are safer than at any point in the past as new technologies have provided a number of options that help people to protect themselves in case of a collision. However, protections for rear seat passengers have lagged behind even as technology has developed significantly for people sitting up front.

Airbags and automatically locking seat belts are usually available only in the front seats, for example, even though these are some of the most effective technologies in preventing severe injuries in case of a car crash. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that the increased protections of the rear seat area are not sufficient, and the organization is urging automakers to add more technologies to protect people in the back seat.

Researchers noted that this is particularly important given the rise of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. These mean that more people are riding in the back seat, and they may be less likely to buckle their seat belts in comparison to people driving in private cars. The researchers examined 117 crashes in which back seat passengers were buckled up but still faced fatalities or severe injuries, noting that chest and head injuries were particularly likely.

In many cases, car accidents and the serious injuries involved are caused by someone else’s distracted, dangerous or negligent driving. People who have been injured in a motor vehicle collision may work with a personal injury lawyer to pursue compensation for their losses.

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