Have you ever thought that locking your car doors while you are driving could make it harder for you to get rescued if you are in an accident? This is an issue that deserves serious attention because it could affect your ability to get medical attention when you really need it. Here are the main considerations that you need to explore when you are wondering if locking your car doors will make it harder for you to get help when you need it.
How Bad Is The Accident?
This is the crux of the whole issue. The severity of the accident will help to decide how much rescuing you will need after an accident and how large of a role locked doors are likely to play in you getting that help as soon as possible. Not all accidents are the same, so take a look at the basic categories of accidents and how locked doors are likely to affect rescue attempts.
Minor Accidents
In minor accidents, you probably won’t need immediate medical attention, so locked doors slowing down your rescuers won’t matter as much. That is good because in this case there is a good chance that locked doors will slow them down somewhat. Of course, in minor accidents, there is a good chance that someone in the car will be able to unlock the doors anyway, and this won’t be an issue.
Major Accidents
In major accidents, you do want to allow rescuers to get to everyone in the car as quickly as possible so that appropriate medical attention may be provided. In this instance, locked car doors may slow down rescue attempts, but truthfully, cars tend to be pretty mangled in major accidents, so locked doors probably aren’t going to make that much of a difference. If the doors are wrecked, then the locks won’t matter, and if they aren’t, then the locks won’t be that hard to overcome.
The Verdict
The truth is that there is a good chance that locked doors will make rescue after an accident more difficult, but they aren’t going to provide enough of an impediment to matter in most cases. After all, how many times have you heard of car accidents where locked doors made any significant difference with regard to the rescue attempt? Also, it’s not like rescuers will be running into the obstacle of locked car doors for the first time, so you don’t really need to worry about locked car doors interfering with rescue efforts.
Should You Lock Your Doors When You’re Driving?
Yes. Locking your doors when you are driving helps to protect you from carjackers and other safety issues, so it is better to keep them locked. It is a precaution that you may never see pay off, but if something ever does happen, then you will be glad you locked your doors.
Locked doors can make rescue after an accident more difficult but not in any substantial way. Car accidents happen all the time, and rescue personnel can cut you out of your car if need be. While that may not be a comforting thought, at least you know that rescue personnel will be able to get to you if you are in an accident whether you locked your doors or not.
