The recent accident scene on Thika Super-Highway. Photo/sde.co.ke
Automobiles may not be the safest mode of transport, but many people afford it and tend to use the PSV's almost daily.Sometimes we do not take time and try to figure out safest place to sit.
Recently an accident on Thika Super Highway claimed 11 lives.This is among many other accidents that happen in Kenya daily.
From a close look of the accident, the front of the both PSV's was severely damaged.
According to researchers from the University of Buffalo on more than 60,000 fatal crashes, it was found that passengers in the middle back seat were 86 percent more likely to survive than those in the front seats, and 25 percent more likely to survive than those in the other rear seats.
During an accident, the person who is sitting in the middle of the back seat is usually in the most distance from the collision impact or the crumple zone thus he or she will not be affected by full impact force.
Drivers were also found to be even better than those in the front passenger seat since research has found that the driver will automatically steer away from the impact prior to the collision.
One research showed that when passengers in the front wore seat belts, their odds of dying were five times as great if those in the back were not belted, a result of back-seat passengers’ being thrown forward on impact.
It can, therefore, be concluded that in case of an accident, the middle back seat is the safest place to be.