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Did you know that when your vehicle is rear-ended you actually accelerate 2.5 times faster than your vehicle?
When most people are asked about how fast they think the other driver was going when they were rear ended they usually respond with something like: “That guy must have been going 20 mph when he hit me.”
The truth is 75% of all rear end collisions are less than 10 mph. So how can people make such ridiculous statements? They make those statements because they probably were going 20 mph after they were hit.
Researchers have found that the occupants of a vehicle that’s been hit from the rear actually accelerate to 2.5 times that of the speed of the vehicle that hit you. So if your vehicle is hit at 10 mph from the rear, your body will accelerate to 25 mph!
The only way to soften this experience is to have something that will absorb some of the crash energy from the “bullet” vehicle.
Most people think there are energy absorbing bumpers to soften the blow…but according to the Federal Bumper Standard – bumpers are there to protect the vehicle’s safety equipment (headlights, grill, radiator, taillights, etc.) and are not designed for occupant protection. We used to have 5 mph, energy absorbing bumpers on passenger cars but now it’s only 2.5 mph (allows unlimited damage to the bumper) and only on passenger cars – not pickup trucks, SUVs or mini-vans.
People also think the crumple zones will absorb the energy from a rear end collision…but on “frame railed” vehicles like pickup trucks and large SUVs, manufacturers don’t want any “global buckling of the frame” at speeds less than 35 mph…so where does that leave the occupants of pickup trucks and SUVs?
If you have a receiver hitch on your pickup truck or SUV there are products that will slide into your receiver hitch and actually absorb some of the crash energy from the most frequent vehicle accident on the highway today – the rear end collision. And for every 1 mph of crash energy they absorb, its 2.5 mph to the occupants.
If you have a pickup truck or SUV equipped with a receiver hitch and you happen to get hit from the rear, you are going to feel the full brunt of the collision because receiver hitches are bolted to the frame and all the crash energy will be transferred directly to the occupants.
There are products on the market today that will absorb crash energy and work with your receiver hitch to protect you and your family. Take a look around and if they’re less than the price of a whiplash injury (average cost $9,900) they’re probably worth taking a look at.