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Is it safer to drive with your doors locked versus not?

There is a rumor out there that it is safer to drive with your doors unlocked versus locked. The reason for this rumor is that if your doors are unlocked you will be able to easily be able to get out of your car in case of a car accident. If your doors are locked, this says that your doors may not unlock and you will be more likely to be stuck in your car and unable to get help in case of a car accident.

I did a search of the internet to see if this rumor was true or not. I came to a blog by well know car experts Tom and Ray Magliozzi. They actually had done a show about this very question in 2011. In the show the caller had the very same question, is it safer to drive with your car unlocked in case of a car accident so paramedics can get you out or you can exit in case your car catches on fire.

In the 2011 article titled “how do locked doors help during a car accident”, Tom and Ray stated that it is actually more likely you would be injured in a car accident if you drive with your car doors unlocked. They stated the reason behind this was because the doors being locked actually creates a tighter seal on the car and better allows the car’s body to protect the people riding in the car. Additionally, by the car doors being locked, there is far less chance of the doors being loosened and being opened in case of a car accident.

If your car doors open in a car accident, you are more likely to fall out of the car, be hit by debris or other objects outside of the car, and the car’s stability rating on the outside is less able to absorb impacts.

Most new cars these days come with automatic locks so it is much harder if not impossible to unlock your doors while cars are moving.

If you are injured in a car accident, contact a Seattle personal injury lawyer for a free consultation. Personal injury lawyers are paid out of the settlement so there are no hourly fees and out of pocket costs. Everyone can afford a Seattle personal injury lawyer because of this but you can’t afford not to have one against the insurance companies.

Andrew CherinIs it safer to drive with your doors locked versus not?