The Physics Behind What Your Body Endures When You’re Rear-Ended

When you’re in a car accident, there are a thousand different things that can wreak havoc on your body. This is especially the case when you’ve been involved in a rear-end collision. The truth is that the injuries you experience during a rear-end collision can vary depending on multiple factors. For instance, how fast you and the other car were going, or if you were pushed into another vehicle after impact. 

Even if it’s just a minor wreck at a slow speed, the damage to your body can be devastating. If you’ve been involved in a rear-end collision, it’s essential to understand the physics behind what your body endures and how the friendly professionals at Impact Medical Lutz can help. 

What Happens to Your Body in a Rear-End Collision?

When you’re involved in a rear-end collision, it’s more dangerous if you’re the driver that gets rear-ended than it is for the driver of the car that hits you. If your vehicle is sitting still and you’re hit by a moving vehicle, the dangers increase with every mile per hour. 

Let’s look at what happens to your body when something happens. For example, when you’re driving a car that’s hit from behind, the momentum of the vehicle that collides with you instantly shifts to your car. And, in turn, your body too. If you’re sitting still, you can imagine how traumatic this energy transfer can be on your body. 

Think of the physics this way—if you’re hit by a car traveling at 30 miles per hour, the momentum of 30 miles per hour is transferred directly into your body even when you’re sitting inside your vehicle. 

Both you and your car are thrown violently forward at the moment of impact. And if you’re being safe and wearing your seatbelt, your body is instantly snapped back just as quickly. This jerking motion causes your head and spine to crash against the seat of your car. You aren’t bracing yourself for impact because a rear-end collision is the last thing you’re expecting. This means that your head also snaps forward and backward violently, which causes a cascade of injuries throughout your spine from top to tail. 

With all of that jerking and movement, you can also imagine the damage that’s being done to your internal organs. When they are forced to move forward and then backward inside your body, they smack right into rigid structures like your ribcage, which can lead to serious internal injuries. 

Who Does Physics Favor?

When you’re involved in a rear-end collision, the physics favor the rear driver because they can brace themselves for impact before the crash occurs. Numerous studies show people who have time to brace themselves before an accident are less likely to suffer severe injuries than those who aren’t. 

How Can Impact Medical Help After a Rear-End Collision?

If you’re involved in a rear-end collision, it’s vital to seek the attention of a chiropractor to be able to properly and thoroughly diagnose your injuries. The truth is, spine, head, and neck injuries from rear-end collisions can show up months after the accident, so it’s critical to let the specialists at Impact Medical Lutz help care for and treat your ailments and injuries. 

We have a wide variety of treatments to help diagnose your injuries and develop a personalized treatment plan that targets your specific injuries. 

The Best Place for Chiropractic Care for Rear-End Collision Injuries

Getting professional chiropractic care for your rear-end collision injuries is essential for your recovery. Unfortunately, they can worsen the longer you go without treating them, so there’s no better day than today to get the expert care of the Impact Medical team. Call the reliable, dedicated staff at Impact Medical Lutz today at (813)-536-0373 to schedule your free consultation.