Allianz Munich recently conducted and filmed crash tests which showed that poorly packed roof boxes can explode upon impact and spew their contents with the force of several tonnes, due to the impact in a car crash.
In effect, the roof box becomes a cannon.
Brendan Murphy, CEO, Allianz Ireland, said: "In a crash of 30 miles an hour, where the car suddenly goes from 30mph to 0 mph, the contents of the car roof box will retain the force of travelling at 30 miles per hour.
"Your car takes three seconds to stop when you brake at 30mph, but in a crash that time can shorten to .01 seconds, meaning the force can be up to 150 times the force of gravity.
"A 380-litre box, with a load capacity of 60kg, under 150 times the force of gravity, can become a cannon and shoot out contents, which could add to injuries sustained during a car accident."
The video can be seen here.
