Minor Details That Save Lives You Don't Know the Purpose Of

We take a lot of objects and items that we use every day for granted. But did you know some of them have incredible hidden components that are actually designed to save your life? From secret details in planes and cars, to little known features on your phone, backpack, and even pen lid, let's explore the true life saving purposes of the things hidden all around you!

Life Saving Spirals On Jet Engines

How fast do you think an aircraft engine runs? While it might be tempting to take a closer look, you should stay back! Because, even from 16ft away, some jumbo jet engines are powerful enough to suck hilariously heavy items straight into them. But how can ground crew tell if they’re in danger of being sucked in and sliced to ribbons?

Spirals are painted on the central cones of the engine and, when the engine’s off, it looks like an unassuming decorative detail. But when they’re running, the spirals become obvious white blurs depending on the rotation speed! So, it’s pretty easy to see when it’s a super spinning threat or not.

Although, it’s not just ground crew those spirals are designed to save. Major aircraft manufacturers argue that that design keeps birds from flying into the engines when they’re airborne, with the high speed spirals apparently scaring them away.

Although, you’d assume the ear splitting noise of the aircraft alone would be enough to keep them from thinking it was a safe place to rest. But evolution works in mysterious ways!

Bleed Holes: Tiny Holes In Airplane Windows

If you’ve ever sat in the window seat of a plane, you’ve probably noticed the tiny hole at the bottom of your quasi rectangular window. While a lot of people don’t think much of it, it’s actually essential for keeping you safe when you’re up in the air!

It all comes down to cabin pressure, because the higher the plane climbs, the less oxygen there is. At a cruising altitude of 35,000 ft up, the air pressure is so low that anyone on the outside the plane would almost immediately pass out! To prevent that from happening inside the plane, the cabin is routinely pressurized.

That is great for keeping the passengers and pilots conscious, but it’s not so good for the plane. The structure needs ways of relieving the strain that all that pressure puts on the aircraft. Which is where those tiny holes, called bleed or breather holes come into the equation! If you look at a typical airplane window, you’ll see it’s made up of three separate panes.

The outer two layers contain the difference between the pressure of the cabin and the sky, while the pane with the bleed hole allows for pressure to be balanced between the gap in the panes and the cabin! Not only that, but they also release moisture and minimize condensation that’d otherwise block your view. So, they save your life, and your holiday snaps!

Static Wick: Metal Rods On The Aircraft Wing

If you’ve never noticed the bleed holes in airplane windows, then you’ve probably never spotted the weird wand like things strapped onto the aircraft’s wing. While they look like someone plucked them out of a Harry Potter film, they’re not using magic to help the plane take off.

As a plane flies, it’s constantly rubbing against the particles in the atmosphere. That creates a build up of static electricity, the same thing that accidently gives people electric shocks, or on purpose if you’re feeling naughty! That build up tends to migrate to the trailing edges of the aircraft, but if all that electricity builds up in one section, it could create a huge spark and result in a fire.

But the static wicks work as pathways to drain the excess electrical build up from the plane back into the atmosphere. They also help dissipate the energy from any lightning strikes that hit the plane, which is incredibly important as planes are struck by lightning about once a year. So, if you’re ever on a plane traveling through a scary looking storm cloud, magic won’t save you, but those static wicks probably will!

Escape Rope Brackets: Yellow Hooks On Airplane Wings

Spirals, bleed holes, static wicks could airplanes have any more life saving details that most people didn’t know about? The answer is obviously "yes", and another one can be found out on the wing! Poking out of the metal sheeting, you might see several sets of small yellow bumps dotted across the wing.

If you’ve never seen them in use, then that’s actually a good thing. Because those are escape rope brackets, and they’re only used when something seriously bad has happened and the plane is forced to make an emergency landing. In an event like that, inflatable emergency slides automatically deploy from almost every door on the plane, allowing passengers to slide to safety.

But passengers on the wing have the harrowing task of walking out onto the wing to get to their slide. Although it isn’t always that simple! In the event of a water landing, the wings are likely to be wet and slippery, and the rocking of the plane could see a survivor take a nasty tumble into the water below.

To ensure no one is lost to the waves that way, cabin crew secure an emergency rope across the wing using those escape brackets, giving survivors something to cling to, other than hope as they cross. So, when you’re booking your next flight remember, unless you’re happy making that James Bond style over wing exit, maybe choose a seat further back!

Backpacks With Emergency Whistles

We all have that one friend who’s a huge fan of a good hike, and it seems like they’re always trying to get you back in touch with the good old outdoors! As great as all their enthusiasm is, the outdoors isn’t always the safest place to be.

From animal attacks, to health issues, and falling accidents, you’re actually 6.4 times more likely to die while hiking than you are while skydiving! Suddenly that three hour trek into the wilderness is starting to sound much less appealing. But if you find yourself in a tight spot, 127 Hours style not all hope is immediately lost, depending on what kind of backpack you have!

Hidden in the buckles of plenty of adventuring packs are tiny, ridged tubes that double up as emergency whistles! It’s an easy to reach essential that can help you attract attention, even if you’re in a bit of a one armed tangle. All you have to do is keep your head and your arm and whistle for help!

My Pack Has A Whistle~Gene Burnett by Gene Burnett

Bicycle Helmet Holes

Just about any bicycle helmet can protect your noggin, but why would you buy a helmet with loads of holes in it? Surely, if it’s not covering your entire head, then it won’t be that effective, right? Actually, wrong!

Those holes are primarily used for ventilation, because you release about 7-10% of your body heat through your head. But when you exercise, that can result in a super sweaty build up that drips down into your eyes. Not only is it gross, but it’s insanely dangerous if you can’t see where you’re going! But those holes also serve another ironically accidental safety function as well.

During a study in 1990 into the protective capability of bicycle helmet material, it was found, almost by chance that helmets with holes in them had a much better protective design! That is because the helmet’s material has more space to move, allowing it to absorb a greater amount of shock in comparison to full cover designs.

So, when a rider hits something head first like a tree, the helmet’s material can spread out into those spaces and absorb more of the force instead of the riders head! While the rider will probably still have a few scrapes and bruises, without that holey helmet, you could say that damage would be a "hole" lot worse!

Breaking A Car Window With A Headrest

Helmets aren’t the only accidentally ingenious designs out there. Years ago, an internet myth began circulating that car headrests were designed to be detachable and sharp in order to break the car’s window in an emergency. Unfortunately, there was no real evidence to support that claim because no car manufacturers or designers came forward to corroborate it.

But it would take more than that to stop people from trying that urban legend out for themselves! Many brave window smashers have attempted to show the world that a detached car headrest can in fact be used as an emergency escape tool.

Breaking out of a car with the headrest by Mike Stanek

From using brute force to hammer the car window, to leveraging it on a pivot point to break the glass inside the door. While they definitely haven’t been created with window smashing in mind, a plush headrest can genuinely be used to get yourself out of a sticky situation. Who knew headrests would turn out to be secret Swiss army knives?

What Are Subway Conductors Always Pointing At?

The New York City subway is made up of the most stations in the world! But since it was completed in the 1930’s, very few changes have been made to that subway’s mammoth infrastructure. So, when it comes to safety, you might be wondering what systems are in place to stop serious accidents. And one of those is simpler than you’d ever believe!

As a train pulls up to a station platform, the conductor will lean out the window and point to a specifically placed black and white board overhead. It’s a simple gesture that all conductors repeat at every single platform they stop at, but it’s crucial to the journey. Why?

MTA Subway conductors pointing the way to our safety. by SeanZone

Because that signal alone confirms that the platform is lined up alongside the full length of the train before the conductor opens the doors. While it may not seem like a big deal, if the train were to stop anywhere else, bustling passengers would likely step right out onto the electrified tracks!

Emergency SOS On Smartphones

If you’re in trouble, calling the emergency services should put you at ease. But there are some situations where obviously reporting something can put you in danger of becoming a target. Fortunately, Apple has built a small feature into their iPhones to help you tiptoe around that exact situation.

Holding down the side button and one of the volume buttons of a model later than an iPhone 7 will bring up an "Emergency SOS" slider on screen. You can drag it across to call the emergency services or continue holding them down to do so automatically.

How to Use Emergency SOS on iPhone! by Daniel About Tech

And for any model earlier than an iPhone 7, you can rapidly click the side or top button five times before dragging across the same slider. After the call ends, any emergency contacts you have in your contact list receive a text message with your current location, and if your location changes, they’ll also get an update!

But it’s not just Apple who are the secret heroes of the hour, because Samsung Galaxy phones also have a simple SOS feature. Once it’s set up, all you have to do is click the lock button 3 times to send an SOS message to your emergency contacts with your location.

Galaxy A54/A53: How to Turn Emergency SOS (Safety & Emergency) OFF & ON by WorldofTech

Depending on its settings, it’ll also send photo recordings or a voice message to provide more evidence of what’s happening around you. It may only save a few seconds, but in emergency situations, a few seconds can often be the difference between life and death!

Silent Protocol

If you’re trying not to draw attention to yourself calling the emergency services, there’s a good chance you might not want to be heard either. So how do you have a conversation over the phone without speaking?

It sounds impossible, but there are emergency service protocols around the world that deal with those exact situations. If you’re in the UK, for example, there’s a "silent solution" that operators look out for. If they can’t hear your voice, they’ll ask you to tap the handset, or cough to respond to their questions.

They’ll even give you a prompt to press 55 which automatically connects you to the police. Even if you still can’t talk, the police call handler will attempt to communicate by asking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions that can be answered by hitting buttons on the keypad. And it’s not just the Brits that use that silent solution!

US states like Maryland and Massachusetts use a ‘911 Silent Call’ procedure, where callers can press buttons to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions and indicate what service they need.

But over in New York, you can simply text the emergency services, all by sending things like your location and your status to 911! Although, obviously, don’t go sending them any emojis.

Elevator Emergency Protocols

Imagine this: you live on the top floor of a 30 story building, and you’ve had a serious accident. You can’t move, but you’ve managed to call the emergency services. They’re trying to get to you as quickly as possible, but they have too much equipment to use the stairs. On top of that, some idiot in the elevator just hit all the buttons!

So, how do the emergency services get to you as quickly as possible? The secret is actually inside the elevator. Emergency protocols are programmed into most lifts of high rise buildings that turn the elevator into an express ride to a specified floor. And how do they use them?

In some cases, they just hold down the close door button. But in others, it’s a different combination of the floor number and close door button. It saves time stopping at every floor, which could be the difference between life and death. Or, if you know the secret, it can speed up any resident’s ride and stop them from being late. Hopefully, you won't abuse this information.

Tire Tread Wear Indicator

Throughout most of the United States and Europe, it’s a legal requirement that road using cars have tires with a tread depth of at least 1.6 mm, which is only slightly thicker than a penny. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but tires worn down lower than that put you at a major risk of skidding out of control when you slam on those brakes!

But without taking a costly trip to the garage, how can you tell that it’s time to change your tires? It’s near impossible to judge such a small measurement by eye alone, and it’d be a pain to try and figure it out from a yard stick.

Fortunately, most tires have a hidden feature that can save you hassle and your life! If you take a close look, you’ll find that your tires have tread wear indicators. Those are small, horizontal rubber bars that are evenly spaced across the central grooves. If the tread of your tire is level with those bumps, it’s time to get them changed pronto.

Secret Lock On Airplane Bathroom Door

The worst place to feel ill is possibly on an airplane. Small, cramped, and with no chance of getting off until you’ve arrived! But what if you lock yourself in the airplane lavatory and then suddenly faint? Or worse, have a heart attack? Considering those cubicles don’t have a master key opening, how are cabin crew meant to get to you? Or do you just have to wait until you land?

Fortunately, the brainiacs that designed some of those aircraft have thought all those scenarios through. At first glance, those metal "lavatory" signs don’t look out of the ordinary. But some of them are actually hiding a secondary override lock, designed to open the door from the outside to help passengers in need, should the worst happen to them on the mile high john!

Fire Hydrant Blue Reflectors

Driving along a stretch of American asphalt at night, you might spot the red, white, and yellow reflectors stretched along the road. But they’re not just there to look pretty! Yellow reflectors usually line the center of the road, white separates the lanes, and red indicates the edge of the road or that you’re going the wrong way!

But every now and again, a blue reflector might catch your eye, and unlike the others, its placement doesn’t seem to follow any kind of pattern. Yet as sporadic as their placement seems, they’re actually some of the most important reflectors of all! That’s because those tiny blue reflectors indicate to firefighters that there’s a hydrant nearby!

And their placement on the road, which is usually left or right of the central line shows which side of the road it’s on. It saves the fire crews from scrabbling around in the dark trying to find the nearest hydrant, giving them more time to put out any fatal fires!

Brake Light Locks

Have you ever been out on the road in dark or bad weather, when all of a sudden a car in front of you with broken brake lights slammed to a halt? Most drivers will understand that that is one of the most terrifying and dangerous things that can happen out on the road.

Without those essential brake lights, emergency stops can turn into rear end crashes that can be fatal! But while it’s illegal to drive without them, it doesn’t stop the occasional idiot from doing so. Which is exactly why some car manufacturers decided to take the matter into their own hands! Many automatic car models have an inbuilt transmission parking lock system also called a Parking Pawl.

Those tiny devices lock the shifter of automatic cars in the "Park" position if the system detects a fault in any important linked elements like brake lights. That super small feature keeps those dangerous vehicles off the road until they’re fixed and saves other road users from driving up the wall!

How To Protect Your Parking Pawl by The Right Line

Self-Expiring Medicine Packaging

Expiration dates are on just about everything, from food to makeup, and even medicine! But while eating something or applying a cream a few days out of date won’t kill you, expired medicine can cause a real headache. Once those pills hit that date, the manufacturer can no longer guarantee the potency or safety of the drug you’re taking.

Even worse, if they’re not labeled properly, they can be illegally sold on to vulnerable people! But who really looks at the expiration date on pill packets? Not enough of us, apparently, which is why the doctor and designer team of Gautam and Kanupriya Goel came up with an ingenious design for self expiring packaging.

From the second it’s printed, the paper the packaging is printed on changes slowly over a set period of time. Once the medicine is expired, it’s practically impossible to read what it is, let alone assume it’s safe to use with all those big X’s everywhere! While it’s currently just a concept, the world might soon be a place where no one has to guess whether or not a medicine is safe to take!

Life-Saving Pen Lid Hole

There’s probably not a person alive who hasn’t used a Bic pen. While their ball point tip is a nifty innovation, the holes in their caps don’t seem as ingeniously designed. You've probably never given it much thought, or if you have, you've probably brushed it off as some random feature that stops the ink from drying out.

But it actually serves an unimaginably important purpose for all the avid pen chewers out there, reducing the risk of choking deaths! Accidentally swallowing a pen lid and getting it caught in your throat is a real risk, and roughly 100 people in the US die every year from doing so! Although that number use to be much, much higher, until Bic and other pen manufacturers introduced that life saving design in the early 1990’s.

They added that small hole in the lid to allow air to pass through in the event they’re swallowed by curious kids or adult idiots! It’s just wide enough to let them breathe on their way to the emergency room! But seeing how unpleasant that sounds, maybe you should just resist the urge to put that pen cap in your mouth!

Why Lego Minifigures Have A Hole In Their Heads

Any parent will tell you that kids put just about anything they can get their tiny hands on in their mouths! It’s why toy boxes are usually plastered with those "recommended age" and "choking hazard" warnings. But sometimes kids are still able to get their hands on the tiniest, tastiest looking parts like Lego heads!

As it turns out, the tops of those iconic minifigures are apparently irresistible to little ones. But the designed at Lego have thankfully thought that through! Lego added in that strange little hole in the yellow heads in case a tiny tot ever got one caught in their throat.

Should one ever get frighteningly lodged in their windpipe, the hollow head would effectively act as a tube, allowing the child to breathe! Safe as they may be, even watching a kid swallow a Lego head is enough to make a parent loose theirs!

If you were amazed at these secret design features that save lives, you might want to read about secrets hidden in everyday things. Thanks for reading!