The Dangers of Putting Your Feet on the Dashboard While Traveling on Maine’s Highways

Spring is here. The temperatures are getting warmer, shorts and flip-flops will be soon, and people will be traveling by car all over New England to enjoy the seemingly brief summer days.

It also means that many passengers in the right front seat will be putting their feet up on the dashboard of the car to relax. However, every time people put their feet up near the windshield while traveling at 65 miles per hour or more, there's a chance they could never walk again.

If you are one of those people, there are some things you should consider:

1. You're traveling 65 to 70 mph, if the driver is obeying the speed limit, with your feet up against the glass. What happens if that glass should shatter?

2. If the passenger airbag should go off, it does so with a lot of force. According to CarsDirect.com, airbags deploy at 100 to 220 miles per hour. If your feet are on the dash when that happens, you're going to lose them, along with most of your legs.

3. If the passenger airbag does go off, it's more than likely from a head-on collision, so there's a very good chance that that dashboard will probably get a lot closer to your body in a very short time. Now we're talking about even more severe injury.

This crash test shows exactly what could happen if you get into a collision and the passenger airbag deploys with your feet on the dash.

I did a Google search for accidents related to feet on the dashboard, and had to stop looking after the first page I saw. It showed very graphic pictures of injuries that you do NOT want to see. Trust me. You've been warned.

This x-ray posted by the Georgetown County Professional Firefighters Association Local 4526 on Facebook is one of the least gruesome, and should make my point clear.

If you spend a lot of time and money on pedicures to keep your toes nice and pretty, why would you do the equivalent of dangling them over a blender?

Cars are designed to keep us as safe as possible when occupants are seated properly. That means keeping your feet in the foot well, so that if the worst should occur, you are as protected as you can be. You're defeating the safety measure of the vehicle to try to be a little more comfortable. Is it worth the risk?