Mattress in moving MPV/van, passengers unsecured

Road trips are meant to be enjoyable, however these should not come at the cost of safety. Shown on X/Twitter, a video depicts a family of four travelling in what appears to be an MPV or van that has had its passenger seats stowed or removed.

In place of the seats, a mattress has been placed as the ‘floor’ of the vehicle, where the occupants – one adult and two children – are sitting unsecured, with the adult appearing to prepare a meal for consumption in the vehicle. Meanwhile, the driver is in position, at the controls of the vehicle.

While the journey as shown in this video clip appears uneventful, and the road seems to be clear of traffic as seen through the windscreen, this practice remains highly dangerous as unsecured occupants will effectively become projectiles should there be a collision at speed.

Bestnya, siap boleh makan2. pic.twitter.com/7WpvTQJq87

— #UpdateInfo🇲🇾🌍 (@update11111) August 17, 2024

As seen in the rearward-facing part of the video, there are sharp, exposed corners of furniture in the interior of the vehicle, which are hazardous. It may appear fine to use, until the driver needs to take evasive manoeuvres.

Beyond vans and MPVs, having seatbelts fastened for all occupants within a vehicle is crucial to surviving a car crash. A 2017 report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) of the United States stated that drivers are twice as likely to be killed in a crash when the passenger behind them is unsecured, or in other words, not wearing their seatbelt.

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