Why is our instinct to brace for impact when falling, getting punched, getting into a car accident, etc., when going limp causes less injury/damage to the body?
In: 65
This is a myth that keeps getting thrown about around the topic of drunk drivers.
The claim goes that the drunk driver is more likely to survive a crash that the other people involved. Apparently this is because the drunk driver went limp while the occupants of the other vehicles braced themselves because they were not drunk.
It really is a baseless claim because the statistics used here fail to mention a lot of things.
First off, it is just a comparison between the deaths caused by drunk driving compared to the drunk driver. However, this includes pedestrians who obviously lose to cars.
Another thing to remember is that cars always have the most protection for the driver, as it is assumed there is always someone in that seat. So one driver on their own vs a full car, it is not surprising that the passengers get hurt more. Incidentally, if there are drunk passengers of the drunk drivers car, they are the most likely to get killed or injured in a collision with another vehicle, directly disproving your claim.
Next time you fall over, see if it hurts more to faceplant concrete or throw your arms up in front.
Punching? Try watching the replay of the Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte to see what happens when you don’t prepare for being punched.
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