Just walked away from a head on car collision

[abelenkpe]

Driving my kids to school. Car was spun around 360 degrees hit by a large pick up truck. We're all OK despite being shook up and minor bruising. Cuts on my nose from the air bag. I just want to say thank you to the humans who invented car seat belts, air bags, and child safety seats. And to those who lobbied to create laws requiring manufacturers, drivers and passengers to install and use them. Please always wear your seatbelt!

[sharp_stick]

1. I'm glad you're OK

and as a former ambulance driver I'll second your thanks for all the safety features of modern driving.

[lunatica]

2. I'm delighted that you and your kids are OK!

And I agree with you about all those life saving gadgets!

[loli phabay]

3. cant stress enough why you got to wear a seatbelt

[zbdent]

4. GOVERNMENT-REQUIRED airbags

which the auto industry makes it look like they did that out of the generosity of their hearts ...

[jakeXT]

7. But they are designed for unbelted drivers

In 1983, 14% of USA drivers used seat belts; more modern estimates5 put the figure at up to 60%. Although this figure is improving, USA airbags have had to be designed to protect both the belted and unbelted occupant. To achieve this, airbags inflate rapidly (50 ms) under high pressure to a volume of 70 litres. In contrast, UK (and Western European) fitted airbags are only designed to protect a belted occupant and inflate to 30 litres within the same time. This is in part attributable to seat belt use in the UK and Europe, which is estimated at 88%–91% (dependent on sex and age, R Cuerden, et al, IRCOBI Conference, 2001).

http://emj.bmj.com/content/19/6/490.full

[Arugula Latte]

10. I'm amazed that seatbelt use is still so low here.

It speaks to the combination of idiocy, stubbornness, and egotism of Americans.

[avebury]

5. Glad to hear that everyone is ok. How are your

children holding up post accident? It is horrible for you because you were probably so afraid for your children and it had to be so scary for them.

[abelenkpe]

12. Yeah they are still reeling a bit

Had to get in a car to take them for a check up just a bit ago and they were pretty nervous about it as you can imagine.

[HarveyDarkey]

6. Always buckle up

I don't even start my truck until everyone's seatbelt is fastened. Glad everyone got out (relatively) safely.

[haele]

8. Make sure everyone gets checked out - including x-rays -

Kidlet (sitting in the front seat) developed bronchitis breathing in the dust from the air-bag explosion and Laz had a hairline crack in his shoulder and wrist from the seat belt and the steering wheel when they were hit from behind and rear-ended the pick-up in front of them.
Airbags use a small cap explosive to deploy, so there can be some carbon dust effect for kids that have a susceptibility to asthma.
It takes a few hours for the pain to kick in.

Haele

[abelenkpe]

13. Getting them both checked out now

Thanks for the info on airbags. Always concerned about my sons lungs. I'll mention it to his doc. Thank you!

[hvn_nbr_2]

9. I'm old enough to remember when they first required lap belts

All the American car companies were like Chicken Little, crying that requiring them to put seatbelts in cars was going to destroy the industry and put them all out of business and, OH my God! the sky is falling.

[sakabatou]

15. Every industry does that when new safety features are required

[Art_from_Ark]

37. I remember this commercial

[Arugula Latte]

11. Glad you are okay! Yes -- hooray for safety features!

Thank you consumer advocates, including Ralph Nader!

[sakabatou]

14. Good for you being alright

Did you get all the information about the other driver?

[Vietnameravet]

16. Amazingly I just missed being hit head on yesterday...

[RebelOne]

17. I always wear my seat belt because if you are ever stopped

by a policeman, you will be ticketed. One time I was stopped and had just unbuckled my seat belt because it was an automatic reflex when I stopped my car. The policeman asked if I had been wearing my seat belt. Fortunately, he did not ticket me. Even though I had run a red light, I was just ticketed for not having any proof of insurance. I did, but I was so nervous that I couldn't find the card in my wallet.

[zentrum]

18. Keep in mind

Had something just like this about 4 months ago. Please know that even though you're all okay---you're all still in a kind of shock. The psychological aftermath may take a while longer. It's not terrible--and you will get through it all intact--but this was a deep limbic event. Your kids may be more easily upset at all kinds of unrelated things for a couple of months (!). Sleep may be restless. You yourself may find that your body is remembering past fear situations. You'll be overly vigilant while driving.

All of it will pass away but know that the body and brain has to really work out that you are all truly safe again. It's not like the movies, where people go through traumas and then walk away an hour later making clever quips to each other.

Anyway, that was my experience. Best of full recovery to you.

[deutsey]

19. I agree

I didn't feel the full repercussions of the head-on I was in right away.

Once the adrenaline wore off, I felt very fatigued and could barely walk because I banged my knees pretty bad during the collision. A huge, nasty bruise formed days later across the stomach area where the seatbelt had been strapped across. I had lots of minor things develop in my chest and other areas later and I did become very introspective thinking about how I could've been killed or more seriously injured.

Like the guy in Monty Python and the Holy Grail who was turned into a newt, I got bettuh.

[abelenkpe]

22. Couldn't sleep at all last night

Neither could the kids. They tossed and turned and woke up several times. The accident happened right in front of our building. Top it off, the little old lady (84 years old) who lives on the bottom floor was hit crossing the road two weeks ago and is still in the hospital. Talking to my next door neighbors yesterday they said their father got in two accidents right out front in the past 15 years. Our street is a popular cut through and everyone drives too fast. I spent my sleepless hours looking up the best child safety seats, safest car and downloading information to start a petition to add speed humps to our block. Am I going overboard?

[magical thyme]

24. thank goodness you are ok. no, you are not going overboard.

If people are routinely speeding and causing that many accidents, then speed bumps will be a good thing. And takng action is a positive way to deal with the stress of recovering from the shock of the accident. So it is a win/win.

Once you are sure there are no fractures, you may want to treat yourself and the kidlets to some bodywork such as therapeutic massage or sacro-cranial work to help with the injuries caused by being torqued like that.

A few decades ago I hit a patch of black ice and wrapped my car around a telephone pole . A couple years later, I started missing periods for months at a time, whereas I had always been very regular. I also kept getting a numb spot in my back if I sat for too long.

Then I ran into a sacro-cranial therapist who worked on horses and their riders. While we were setting up an appointment, with absolutely no talk at that point about any of my issues, she reached around behind my back and gently pushed one vertebrae into place. I haven't had the numb spot recur since. When she was actually working on me she asked if I'd been in a bad car accident. I said yes. She knew the car had been hit on the passenger side by the way my body had been torqued. When I thought I was standing straight, my right hip was actually about 1/2 inch ahead of my left hip. About 6 weeks after she worked on me, my periods returned to their normal schedule. She thought the uneven pressures caused by my being slightly twisted was cutting off circulation in my abdomen.

[zentrum]

28. No--not overboard

Do it! It's a healthy response and will save lives and more trauma. There's wisdom in how you're coping.

About the accident---please be sure you're talking and journaling as much as you can about it or anything that attaches to it in your mind. I ended up making all kinds of life-shaping connections. Encourage the kids to draw. Unless you've been through something like this--it's hard to believe how long it takes and how far reaching it is.

Don't want to scare you about how long this takes---you will come out of it. Just be very very patient and honest. It shouldn't be repressed. Can't be rushed. The way out of this is through. It will happen.

Again--best to you and your family.

[abelenkpe]

32. Thank you so much!

I'm only now getting a grasp on how much yesterday's events have changed things.

[zentrum]

35. One more thing.....

I think the advice you're getting here in these posts to get some bodywork is good advice. I didn't have such therapy---but I'm told it really helps the body release tension and trauma more quickly. So if you can do it---it will probably be very helpful and shorten the length of recovery.

(Just FYI--I discovered in hindsight that I was actually in shock for about 2 weeks. Not obvious to me at the time. Didn't have normal feelings about anything until the shock wore off. Then I got to all the rest over the next months.)

[Blue Owl]

20. Survivor of one here

Glad you made it out OK...

[benld74]

21. Phew! Good to hear, nobody got hurt badly. Bet it was scary!

[TrogL]

23. Depending where you live, you may need new child safety seats

My daughter's parked van was totaled by some out-of-control teenagers. Even though it was unoccupied at the time, the law here says all child car seats have to be replaced. Insurance covered it.

[abelenkpe]

34. Thank you!

I'll research some new seats then. Better safe than sorry...

[TrogL]

38. Find out what the law is in your area

Canada has very strict (and sometimes strange) laws.

[Mopar151]

25. If the car is fixed

Make sure the seatbelts are replaced, or PROPERLY inspected. Damage is likely to include some fusion of the webbing at the buckle - it's how Scandanavian accident investigators tell if seatbelts were in use or not.

[abelenkpe]

29. Good to know!

That car is never going anywhere again though. But I'm researching new vehicles and if I get a used one perhaps this would be a sensible thing to do as well depending on it's history?

[liberal N proud]

26. Thank god for government mandated safety features

Some today would say that the government has no place mandating such things.


The car companies didn't put those features in out of the goodness of their heart.


Sorry you had to experience an accident, good to hear you were able to walk away.

[Sheldon Cooper]

27. Two thoughts:

1) as others have mentioned, PTSD is real. Keep an eye on yourself and your children and watch for signs. When I was in an accident 15 years ago, I walked away with minor injuries, but developed an almost paralyzing fear of driving. I sought help right away and got straightened out, but word to the wise - don't dismiss the symptoms.

2) no matter how you may be feeling right now, do not sign anything that the insurance company puts in front of you. Symptoms and problems can take a while to develop, and you don't want to sign away your rights to future treatment for you and your kids.

I'm glad you're okay and take care.

[abelenkpe]

30. Thank you!

I will keep your advice in mind. Pretty worried about my youngest. Been trying to distract her with humor and silliness. I've got a second appointment with her doctor for next week because it's time for her check up anyway. I'll be sure to mention any concerns then. Think I know what you mean. The idea of driving down our street right now is very frightening. That's why I want to try and get speed humps. Too many accidents have happened already. Thanks again!

[riderinthestorm]

31. How are you feeling today? 24 -48 hours later are when the worst of the injuries will ache

Don't hesitate to get back to the doctor if anything is now flaring.

So scary.

So glad you all survived.

[abelenkpe]

33. Scrap on my nose

Is now two lovely black eyes. Guess the airbag was a bit more powerful than first thought. We all have bruises showing up all over. My son's is the perfect impression of his seat belt. Got an appointment to stop by the doc tomorrow just to make sure nose isn't broken. Saw the photos a neighbor took of the accident yesterday in an effort to document it. We are so very lucky!

[pinboy3niner]

36. I'm glad you're all okay

In 1969 I witnessed a head-on on an Interstate with both vehicles traveling at 80-90 mph. At least 6 people, adults and kids, were thrown through the windshield of one car, and I was the first to reach the victims. That was a horrible experience.

More than a decade later I worked for passage of mandatory state child safety seat laws. My contribution was a study of kids in crashes, with recommendations to state governors and legislators for passage of laws. It was a federal agency study, "Child Passenger Protection Against. Death, Disability, and Disfigurement in Motor Vehicle Accidents." While the study was going on, my agency held three public hearings around the country to highlight the issue.

But I don't deserve any special any special thanks--I wasn't so special. There were a LOT of people working on the issue in those days. My rolodex for that project alone had 500-600 names in it, people all over the country working at every level of government and in safety orgs and law enforcement and medicine, etc. We knew that change was inevitable; it was just a matter of speeding it up. It was a privilege to be a small part of it.