Is It Okay to Put Your Feet On the Dash?

Posted on October 10, 2019

It It Safe for Passengers to Put Feet On the Dash?

We’ve all seen it. Cruising down the freeway, the front-seat passenger is reclined way back. Their bare feet are crossed, and the only way you know this is because you see them on the dashboard. Sometimes, their feet might even be out an open window with the wind blowing through their toes. It looks so comfortable and carefree, but is it safe to put feet on the dash? Obviously, it’s never safe for the driver to put their feet on the dash. There aren’t any pedals up there. And for passengers, it isn’t safe either! Here are three reasons why putting feet on the dash is a bad idea.

It Interferes with Visibility

From the driver’s seat, a passenger’s feet up on the dashboard is an obstruction. Those wiggling toes are distracting, for one. They’re also in the way. Try checking the passenger side mirror with someone’s legs and feet perched on the dash. Even the view to the right side through the windshield can be partially blocked. It isn’t a stretch to realize it’s not a safe position.

The Seating Position Isn’t Safe

In an accident, what’s going to happen? The passenger’s backside is going to slide forward into the footwell out from the safety of the seatbelt. Not only is it uncomfortable to be folded up into the footwell, but the airbag system relies on an Occupant Classification System to determine how and when an airbag deploys. If the passenger isn’t sitting properly in the seat, it might not read their weight accurately for safe airbag use.

The Airbag Will Cause Injuries

You don’t want to think about the damage an airbag can cause from close range. With feet directly atop the dashboard airbag on the passenger side, what do you think would happen in a collision? The airbag could very well propel feet upward into the windshield with immense damage to bones and tissue. It’s a scene you definitely don’t want to be a part of.

How the Passenger Should Sit

Instead, the passenger should always sit in as much of an upright position as possible, with the seat as far back as is comfortable. Feet should be down in the footwell, flat on the floor, and uncrossed. Sure, it doesn’t feel as ‘cool’ but it’s much safer. Besides, who wants stinky feet up on the dash of their Acura?