For decades, the conventional wisdom was that the back seat of a car was always the safest. It kept people farther away from the impact site in a head-on collision and it offered a bit more protection from having the padded seats around those individuals in the back.
Things have been changing in recent years, however. Studies have found that the front seats are getting to be much safer. Some have even gone so far as to say that it’s no longer guaranteed to be safest to be in the back seat, at least when riding in a new vehicle.
Why has this change occurred?
For one thing, auto safety devices have focused on the front seat more than the back seat. This is beneficial because a high percentage of trips do not include any passengers at all. This isn’t to say that these areas of the vehicle are neglected, but it does make the most sense to put research and development money into protecting drivers, as you know there will always be at least a driver.
A lot of these developments have taken away the risks that the front seat used to pose. For instance, the back seat was considered safer because a person would strike a padded chair in an accident, whereas someone in the front would strike a hard dashboard or a steering wheel. Airbags have made it so that those in the front no longer have to be as concerned about these impacts.
Of course, despite all of this increase in technology and safety, you can still be very badly injured in any seat in the car. If another driver causes a crash, be sure you know what rights you have to compensation.