10 Things That Make Every Car Accident Worse!
- Elite Upper Cervical
- Jun 21
- 6 min read
Car accidents are unpredictable, traumatic, and all too common. They can happen in the blink of an eye and have lasting effects on your health and well-being—especially if certain risk factors are at play.
At Elite Upper Cervical, we’ve seen firsthand how the details of a collision—things most people overlook—can significantly impact the severity of injuries.
Whether you’ve been in a major crash or a “minor” fender bender, it’s not just the size of the accident that matters—it’s what was happening in and around your body at the time of impact.
Here are 10 specific factors that can dramatically worsen the effects of a car accident—and what you can do to reduce your risk.
1. Pregnancy: The Hormones You Can’t Ignore
During pregnancy, your body is flooded with hormones like relaxin, which—true to its name—helps relax your ligaments to make room for childbirth.
But relaxin doesn’t just loosen the pelvis. It affects every ligament in your body, including the delicate ligaments that stabilize your head and neck.
When your ligaments are more lax, your joints become more vulnerable to rapid shifts, misalignments, and injury. In a collision, this can dramatically increase your risk of soft tissue damage—especially in the upper neck.
Why It Matters:
The neck is less protected by tight ligaments.
Alignment issues are more likely to occur (and harder to stabilize).
Healing times may be longer due to hormonal influence.
Tip: If you’re pregnant and experience even a minor car accident, make sure to see an upper cervical chiropractor within 72 hours.
2. Head Rotation at the Moment of Impact
Imagine sitting at a red light, looking over your shoulder at your child in the back seat—and then BAM! You’re hit from behind.
When your head is turned during impact, the neck's structural integrity becomes extremely compromised. The upper cervical ligaments, which already function under high tension, are stretched even further, increasing the chance of rupture.
Worse still, the intervertebral foramen (where nerves exit your spine) shrink when your head is turned. If you’re hit in this vulnerable position, you risk developing radiculopathy—pain, tingling, or numbness that travels into your arms and hands.
Why It Matters:
Rotated heads drastically increase ligament strain.
Smaller nerve exit points lead to more nerve impingement.
Increased risk of chronic pain and neurological symptoms.
Tip: If you suspect you’re about to be hit, face forward immediately and press your head against the headrest.
3. Small Vehicle vs. Large Vehicle
Physics doesn’t lie. The equation for force—Force = Mass x Acceleration—makes it crystal clear: the larger and faster the vehicle, the greater the force of the impact.
So if you’re in a compact car and a commercial truck or SUV rear-ends you, the likelihood of sustaining serious injury increases significantly.
Why It Matters:
Your smaller vehicle absorbs less of the impact.
The jolt to your body is more abrupt and intense.
Insurance companies take this into account when evaluating injuries.
Tip: If you’ve been hit by a large vehicle—even at a low speed—get checked immediately. The size disparity matters more than you think.
4. Being a Woman or a Child
This one may surprise you. Biologically, women and children are at higher risk of injury in car accidents due to one simple fact: they have less dense connective tissue.
The muscles, tendons, and ligaments that surround and protect the neck are thinner and less developed in women and especially in children, making them more vulnerable to injury from sudden movement or whiplash.
Why It Matters:
Softer tissues provide less resistance to force.
Misalignments are more likely and more severe.
Recovery may take longer without appropriate care.
Tip: Children involved in any accident—no matter how minor—should be assessed by an upper cervical chiropractor.
5. Low-Speed Collisions (Yes, Under 15 MPH)
Most people assume the faster the crash, the worse the injury. And while high speeds can be devastating, low-speed crashes (especially rear-end collisions) are far more deceptive—and just as dangerous.
Why? Because the car doesn’t absorb the impact—you do.
In a low-speed accident, the vehicle may show little to no damage. But if your bumper doesn't crumple and absorb the energy, all that force goes straight through the seat, into your spine, and into your upper cervical joints.
Why It Matters:
No visible car damage doesn’t mean no injury.
Force transfers to your body, not the car.
Victims often neglect to seek care because the damage is hidden.
Tip: Don’t assume you’re fine just because the car is. Hidden injuries are often the most serious—and long-lasting.
6. High-Speed Collisions (Over 45 MPH)
High-speed crashes are the obvious culprits of catastrophic injuries. But did you know that for every 10 mph over 50 mph, your risk of dying or being seriously injured doubles?
At 70 mph, your chance of severe injury is 400% greater than at 50 mph.
This isn’t just about seatbelts or airbags—it’s about the sheer physics of energy transfer. And no part of your body is more vulnerable in a crash than your neck.
Why It Matters:
High-velocity impacts create massive G-forces.
The neck acts like a whip—hence the term whiplash.
Even if you survive, soft tissue and nerve damage can be profound.
Tip: If you’ve experienced a high-speed crash, don’t wait for pain to show up—early intervention is key.
7. Not Seeing the Collision Coming
This one might be the most important of all.
If you didn’t see the crash coming, you couldn’t brace for it. That means your body was relaxed, your muscles were loose, and your spine was unprotected.
The result? Greater trauma to the joints, ligaments, and nervous system.
On the other hand, people who did brace - tightened their core, pushed against the headrest, and locked out their limbs - had significantly less damage and recovered much faster under upper cervical chiropractic care.
Why It Matters:
Relaxed muscles can’t support joint integrity.
Bracing helps distribute force across the body.
Ligaments are more likely to tear if unprotected.
Tip: If you ever realize you’re about to be hit, brace immediately. Follow our 5-step guide "How to React Before Getting Rear-Ended".
8. Wet or Slippery Road Conditions
Rain, ice, and snow don’t just make it harder to brake—they make it harder to control acceleration. When tires lose traction, vehicles often hit other cars with unexpected force and speed.
And the worst part? You rarely see it coming, especially in rear-end collisions.
Why It Matters:
Hydroplaning increases impact unpredictability.
Spin-outs often lead to multi-angle collisions.
Drivers often can't brace effectively in these conditions.
Tip: Wet weather increases both accident risk and injury risk. Be extra cautious and aware of surrounding vehicles.
9. Airbag Deployment
Airbags save lives. But they’re also a clear indicator of how severe the crash was.
For an airbag to deploy, the collision must reach a high enough G-force threshold to trigger the vehicle’s electronic safety systems. That means the energy that hit your car was intense enough to put your life at risk.
And while the airbag protects your face and chest, it often leaves the neck completely exposed, which is why many accident victims suffer upper cervical injuries even when the airbag does its job.
Why It Matters:
Deployment = high force collision.
Airbags don’t protect the cervical spine.
Can cause secondary injuries to the neck due to recoil.
Tip: Always follow up with an upper cervical exam if your airbags deployed—don’t assume you're fine just because you walked away.
10. Wearing a Seatbelt (Wait, What?)
Seatbelts save lives. No question.
But they’re also a contributing factor to certain injuries, especially to the cervical spine.
Here’s why: the seatbelt holds your body in place during a collision. But your head? That’s a free-floating 10–12 lb. object. And when the body suddenly stops, the head keeps moving—creating a dangerous whiplash effect that snaps the neck forward and backward violently.
Why It Matters:
Your body is stopped, but your head isn't.
Neck joints absorb massive G-forces.
Long-term spinal misalignment is a common outcome.
Tip: Always wear your seatbelt, but don’t assume it protects your neck. Proper headrest positioning and post-accident care are critical.
So, What Should You Do After a Car Accident?
If you've been in a car accident, regardless of how fast or minor it seemed, your next step matters. Delaying care is the #1 mistake we see from injured patients.
At Elite Upper Cervical, we specialize in gentle, precise NUCCA chiropractic care tailored specifically for car accident injuries. NUCCA adjustments focus on the alignment of the top vertebrae in the neck (the atlas and axis), which are often the most affected in a collision.
Why NUCCA Is Ideal After a Car Accident:
No twisting, cracking, or high-force adjustments
Extremely gentle and specific
Restores alignment to promote full-body healing
Helps stabilize the spine and nervous system after trauma
And the best part? Most of your medical expenses, including chiropractic care, are covered by your car insurance under Personal Injury Protection (PIP).
Final Thoughts
Car accidents are complex events. It's not just about how fast you were going or whether the airbag deployed, it's about the details that most people ignore. Understanding these 10 aggravating factors can help you act faster, protect your health, and recover more fully if the unexpected happens.
If you've recently been in an accident, or want to prepare yourself and your family with the right knowledge, we invite you to schedule an upper cervical evaluation within 72 hours of the incident—even if you feel "fine."
Symptoms may not show up for days, weeks, or even months. But your spine knows. And the sooner we assess your alignment, the faster you can begin healing.
Comentários