It is quite common for heavy people to ruin furniture.
If you have witnessed such a case, you could be wondering whether or not to carry heavy people in your car. What if they damaged it?
That means you would incur repair costs. So, let us answer your concern below.
So, Can a Heavy Person Ruin a Car?
Fortunately, a heavy person cannot ruin a car. Most cars are designed to carry the heaviest person you can imagine. According to Get Jerry, an average car can hold about 850 lbs. If such a car exceeds the weight, its tires could overheat. However, you do not need to worry about tires overheating since the odds of meeting a heavy person close to 850 lbs are low.
Four Heavy Person Car Concerns
Even though heavy people cannot ruin a car, there are still some concerns that they should bear in mind when boarding a car.
Here are some of the challenges that they could experience while in the car and what to do to avoid experiencing such challenges.
1. Seat Belts Mishaps
When a person of an average weight wears a seat belt, it rests low below the belly with a tight grip.
However, a heavy person will have trouble fixing their seat belt due to some excess belly fat.
In case of an impact, the heavy person may slide forward from under the belt.
Since the seat belt is not properly attached, it is unable to secure the person hence the reason for the heavy person being flung forward.
Since buckling up is a hassle for these heavy people, some may decide to avoid wearing them altogether.
Not wearing the seatbelts even makes them more vulnerable to serious injuries in case of a collision. That means they will even be thrust forward further.
2. Posture Issues
A heavy person can experience challenges in the car in terms of posture.
They may not have enough room to sit properly.
As a result, they will be forced to sit too close to the steering wheel, which is dangerous for them in case they experience a collision.
Since the person’s face was too close to the steering wheel, they can experience catastrophic injuries or die on impact.
Additionally, adopting a poor posture means that the heavy person is going to experience discomfort in the neck, back, shoulders, arms, and legs.
If the heavy person continually sits poorly, they will consequently get chronic pains, making them vulnerable to more injuries.
3. Response Issues
You may have seen people so heavy that they couldn’t walk. The only way they could move was through using mobility scooters.
If such a person cannot move their limbs, you can imagine what will ensue if they get behind the steering wheel.
Heavy people have a hard time moving because they require more energy to do so.
If a heavy person drives and encounters danger, you expect them to veer off to avoid danger.
Remember that the person must generate enough energy to swerve.
If the person is unable to dispense the energy needed to swerve on time, they may experience collisions.
4. Medical Issues
You are at risk of getting involved in a road accident if you are heavy enough to be classified as morbidly obese.
Obesity increases the risk of other diseases that can impact your driving.
One of the diseases you may get is diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
The disease tends to make the person drive more slowly than usual. In case a car loses control, the person will be unable to control it.
The other disease you may be afflicted by is sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea can make it difficult for the person to stay awake.
Since the person is unable to stay awake, they may sleep as they are driving and risk causing accidents.
If your weight causes you to experience other illnesses, it may be best to do what you can to lose weight by exercising and having a proper diet.
However, if your weight does not cause you to have any disease, you can consider getting a car that can accommodate you.
Three Tips for Heavy People for Choosing the Right Car
Typically, a heavy person will experience the above issues when they board the wrong car. As a heavy person wishing to board cars, you could lose weight so that you fit into cars.
Or, you could get some cars tailored for you since more manufacturers are making cars that can accommodate heavy people.
If you are a heavy person in need of a suitable car, here are some of the things to watch out for in a car.
1. Consider Front-Passenger Space
Some drivers would normally pick a car with a roomy cockpit for comfort.
However, the roomy cockpit also acts as a safety mechanism.
A roomy cockpit will enable you to adopt a proper steering position.
The distance will allow you avoid injury when the airbags are deployed.
2. Consider the Dimensions of the Driver’s Seat
Ensure that the driver’s seat is wide and flat enough to provide comfortable accommodation.
If you do drive a car with a seat that does not fit you, you will end up adopting a poor posture since part of your body will be on the seat and the other part outside.
3. Get a Car With Enough Crush Space
The crush space is the area between the seat and the steering column that helps absorb forces caused by collisions.
Heavy people tend to occupy so much space, which means that the crush space will be reduced. With a reduced crush space, the heavy person becomes prone to serious injuries.
Compared to less heavy people, their injuries will be significantly worse.
Let us assume that the heavy person experienced a frontal crash with a car with less space.
In such a case, the person risks getting upper-extremity and spinal injuries.
Conclusion
It is great to know that a heavy person cannot ruin a car whatsoever.
Instead, a person’s heavy weight hinders their comfort levels in cars.
So far, we have seen the inconveniences caused by boarding cars when you are heavy.
Fortunately, you do not have to suffer in a particular car since there are cars that are tailored for heavy people.