The weather's getting nicer in my neck of the woods, and that means that people are shedding their winter boots in favor of lighter footwear, including sandals.
That also means that I've already seen my first teenage passenger riding the oh-so-cool way, with shoes off and feet up on the dash. My blood runs cold every time I see teenagers foolish enough to do this, and parents behind the wheel dumb enough to let them.
Here's the reason: behind that dash panel is an airbag. Hit something, and that airbag inflates within about 40 milliseconds. In effect, that bag is coming toward you at the rate of 150 to 250 miles per hour. (In metric, 240 to 400 km/h -- or, for short, damn fast.)
Imagine putting your legs out in front of you, and then ramming them into a wall at 150 mph. That, in effect, is what the airbag will do. If you're lucky, it'll only break your legs. If you aren't, it'll push your thigh bones through your pelvis. You might walk again, but don't count on it.
Sure, I was young once, and I rode with my feet on the dash. I was also stupid as hell back then, and my dash didn't contain the equivalent of a shotgun shell.
Chances are good these drivers will never hit anything, and their teenage passengers will hop out, all in one piece, and life will be good. But as they say, it only takes a second for a crash, and it doesn't even have to be your fault. It will, however, be your burden.
