What Is The Safest Seat In The Car?

For drivers, the safety of their passengers is a matter of concern. Besides the use of seat belts, knowing which is the safest seat in the car contributes to peace of mind.

Throughout the history of vehicle design, measures have been taken to guarantee the least possible human damage in the event of accidents. In fact, today’s cars are considered to be safer in this respect than before.

Is there really a safer seat in cars?

This is a relative matter, considering that an accidental impact can come from any direction. Statistics on injuries and deaths from car accidents show which is, in general, the safest position.

The truth is that the position of the person inside the vehicle influences the outcome of the accident. In practice, it could be said that the central rear seat is the safest, since it is equidistant from almost all points of the body.

The center seat is followed by the right rear and the left rear. For his part, the right forward – called the copilot – is the most insecure of all, the worst position when it comes to a collision.

Car accident statistics

According to the General Directorate of Traffic, in Spain 1,200 people died from injuries in 1,067 accidents in 2017. The recorded number of wounded was 4,837.

Regarding the type of accident, 20% of those that were fatal, on large roads, were due to frontal, frontal-lateral or multiple collisions. On conventional roads, the figure increased to 28%.

Traditionally, car manufacturers have placed less importance on rear seat safety features than on front ones. Fortunately, since the late 1990s a program was created that monitors related indicators, called Euro NCAP.

Euro NCAP is the acronym for European New Car Assessment Program; in Spanish, European New Car Evaluation Program. It is a non-profit organization made up of 12 European countries.

In order to establish the safety of cars for people in the event of collisions, Euro NCAP carries  out crash tests on new models.

Based on these tests, they give a compliance score measured in number of stars. The maximum rating that can be awarded is five stars.

Euro NCAP’s work has worked; Vehicle manufacturers have felt pressure to meet safety requirements. The demand from society and public bodies to lower accident rates also contributes to this.

Is the center rear seat really the safest?

Children, pregnant women and vulnerable people such as the sick and elderly should sit in the central rear seat. According to the Professional College of Physiotherapists of the Community of Madrid, this seat must meet certain conditions to be really safe in traffic accidents:

• The seat belt. Originally, cars had a lap-type seat belt, which could cause damage by compressing the abdomen. Especially for a young child, the ideal belt to fulfill a protective function is one that includes three anchor points.
• The headrest. It is necessary that the seat includes this element to protect the neck against a sudden stop, a sudden turn of the steering wheel or an impact.
• Regarding the use of the baby seat, if it is to be placed it is recommended to place it in the opposite direction of travel. Sometimes it is unavoidable to have to place it in the same direction of driving to be aware of the child; the airbag must be deactivated.

The actual situation

Internal vehicle safety has improved in recent years as manufacturers seek the coveted five-star rating. Metaphorically speaking, the safest seat is that of caution.

It is true that many damages cannot be avoided when accidents occur beyond the control of the driver. For example, if a third party hits the car. However, a large percentage of the person responsible for driving depends on the integrity of everyone at that time. Taking these precautions will help protect the lives of drivers and passengers.