Can A Seatbelt Break Your Neck?
Can A Seatbelt Break Your Neck?
Many people wonder, “can a seatbelt break your neck?” during an accident, and the answer is yes; depending on the type of impact the vehicle makes during a collision, the seatbelt could break a person’s neck.
Car accident seat belt injury, also known as a “seat belt syndrome.”
A collective term associated with lumbar spine fracture and intra-abdominal organ injury, also body marks and bruises.
Before an accident, some people will sense it is about to take place, and their neck muscles will begin to have spasms before the collision.
“We’ve all seen where within a few seconds before an accident, you or somebody you know knew it was going to happen.“
You try to prepare by grabbing your door handle or the dashboard, but nothing will help when the vehicle collides.
Even if you hold your seatbelt, it won’t prevent your neck from breaking if the impact is severe enough.
Table of Contents
List of 5 most common seat belt injuries:
Ribs
Well-known seat belt injuries you can have are bruised (just as painful as fractured ribs but without displacement) or cracked ribs.
The restrictive power of your seat belt may have enough energy to fracture your ribs and affect you with significant pain for months.
Chest
The energy from the immediate stop can also affect your chest and sternum area, as it is the primary point of contact with the seat belt.
The sternum is the bone in the center of your chest that connects to the ribs.
Injuries to that area are dangerous because the main organs, like the lungs or heart, could be affected. See a doctor if your chest is sore to prevent more serious internal injuries.
Shoulders
Your seat belt can cause damage to the skin and soft tissue in your shoulder.
The energy from the collision can tear the ligaments and muscle tissues in your shoulder, causing discomfort and pain.
Abdominal Area
The bottom part of the seat belt running across your stomach could also cause significant damage to the internal organs from the force of the seat belt during the collision.
Some injuries are not always immediate, especially ones to the bowel and abdominal area. They could be very serious, causing pain or problems to the internal organs, sometimes months after the collision.
Bruises and Lacerations
We talked about internal injuries, but a seat belt can cause external injuries in many cases.
The powerful force from the seat belt, with its roughness rubbing together with your clothing against your skin, can cause you painful scrapes, bruises, and cuts.
These injuries may imprint the seat belt on your body as the tension is spread all over the safety belt and affects the entire area it touches.
What Happens to Your Neck in a Car Accident?
Your neck is not something you can protect when riding in a car. Even though your body is secure behind your seatbelt, your neck is not.
Your head and neck are some of your most vulnerable body parts, yet they are the least protected when riding in a vehicle.
In a car accident, your neck and head will be shaken vigorously and out of control at the time of impact. You will not be able to stop your head from jerking all around.
Your neck will be thrusting from side to side and can even be thrown forward and backward during the collision.
You also risk being hit by flying debris outside the vehicle entering through the windshield or side windows.
Even loose objects inside the car can be thrown around at impact and strike your head or neck, causing severe damage.
When you have rapid movement throughout your body, your cervical spine can experience all kinds of trauma.
Every muscle, joint, tendon, or ligament connected to your spine and neck can suffer dramatically from a car accident.
This can also include permanent nerve damage.
How Bad Is a Broken Neck From a Seatbelt?
It will depend on the type of accident and how your neck was broken during the impact.
Some breaks in a neck can be simple and easily treated, while others are more severe and can even cause death.
Breaking your neck during an accident cannot only leave you with broken bones, but it can also do extensive damage to your spinal cord. You should not try to move if you think your neck is broken and wait for medical professionals to arrive at the accident scene.
You can experience a lot of pain with a broken neck from a seatbelt, and you might not be able to move your head. The goal is to remain calm and not try to move your neck or head while you wait.
Conclusion
If you are curious if “can a seatbelt break your neck?” when in a car accident, you should now have a clear understanding of how serious it can be, depending on the collision’s severity.
Some people will be fine with some soreness, while others won’t be so fortunate.
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