Delaware Defensive Driving Practice Test

How violent can ejections within the vehicle be compared to those causing an occupant to leave the vehicle?

1. Less violent

2. Equally violent

3. More violent

4. Not violent at all

The correct answer is: Equally violent

The reason this answer is the most fitting is that an ejection that occurs within the vehicle often results in severe whiplash and other injuries due to the sudden deceleration and potential impact with the interior surfaces of the vehicle. This type of movement can generate significant forces, but when considering ejections that cause an occupant to leave the vehicle entirely, the forces involved can be immensely greater. When an occupant is ejected from the vehicle during a crash, they are not only subjected to the force of the impact but also to the violent force of being thrown from the vehicle. This can lead to additional injuries from secondary impacts with the ground or other objects, significantly increasing the overall violent nature of the ejection. Therefore, while ejections within the vehicle can certainly be violent and lead to serious injuries, those where occupants are fully ejected from the vehicle tend to be even more violent due to the combined effects of both movement and impact upon leaving the safety of the vehicle's structure. This comparative analysis establishes why the correct choice is about the level of violence being equally severe in these scenarios.