I’m a lawyer – this driving tip could save your life in an accident

A TikTok lawyer posted a viral video sharing his driving advice that he said could save your life while you’re in the car.

Adrianos Facchettia Los Angeles personal injury attorney, said a simple adjustment to your routine can make you better protected in the event of an accident.

His big piece of advice: ‘Don’t sit so damn close to the steering wheel.’

Facchetti, who founded Law Offices of Adrianos Facchetti in 2006, said it’s a simple mistake you may not even realize you’re making, but it could be the difference between a major or minor injury.

“When you got into your car today you probably plugged in your iPhone or turned on your radio and if you are a really safe driver you may have checked and adjusted your mirrors,” the attorney said.

‘But there’s one thing I bet you haven’t done, and it could be the difference between a minor injury or a major injury, and it’s so simple you’re going to say it couldn’t possibly be that effective .’

He said sitting too close to the steering wheel could have fatal consequences in the event of an accident.

“Did you know that air bags inflate at speeds of 200 miles per hour and produce up to 2,000 pounds of force? So if you sit too close to the steering wheel, the airbags can cause serious injuries, but that’s not all.’

“If you sit too close to the windshield you can cut yourself in a crash and if the front of your car caves in, your steering wheel can even hold you in place,” the lawyer said.

Facchetti offered two simple solutions to help prevent this.

“Number one, you want to keep at least 10 inches away from your handlebars and number two, make sure your handlebars are pointed downward. This minimizes severe impact to the chest and face.”

Some commentators insisted that because of their height they have no choice but to sit close to the steering wheel.

One user wrote: ‘Sorry I’m short. It seems like automakers need to fix the problem, because I certainly can’t.”

‘Sorry I’m small. Looks like automakers need to fix the problem because I certainly can’t,” said another.

Others suggest that wheel spacing is a problem that automakers need to solve.

‘Sorry I’m small. It seems like automakers need to fix the problem because I certainly can’t,” said one commenter.

‘Make cars with pedals that adapt to smaller people.’

The Insurance Institute for Traffic Safety analysis found that there were 39,508 fatal motor vehicle crashes in the United States in 2021, resulting in 42,939 deaths.

This resulted in 12.9 deaths per 100,000 people and 1.37 deaths per 100 million miles traveled.