Actually, I was told to always wear clean panties. Yes, in case of a car crash (subtext being that the EMTs will see your underwear).

well, you have to be sexy for that male gaze even when you're bleeding out!

I was always told to have clean underwear on. Makes more sense to always wear clean underwear anyway, even if it’s just plain white.

In the UK it’s in case you get hit by a bus. I’m not sure anyone really meant it, but just a way to get children and teenagers to make sure they learn hygiene habits.

See the helmet and racing outfit? it's a joke. Hit by another car while racing, She's supposed to be a driver.

I was told to always have clean underpants on just in case I ended up in hospital due to an accident such as being hit by a bus. It was something parents drummed into their kids heads back in the 20th century..

I was told this by my mother as a young woman....

My dad repeatedly told me that his mom had always told him to make sure you wear clean underwear in case of an accident. It was also a trope that came up in comics and I'm pretty sure it came up in some shows and movies for a while. I always figured it was a joke since there was a pretty good chance your underwear probably wouldn't be clean anymore once you had an accident.

My Nana always told me(46F) to wear clean undies and socks for this reason, as people below said, b/c EMT's or Hospital staff would see them. Hasn't happened yet, but I do see her point(though she passed in 2002.

My mum always said "Make sure you wear clean pants (underpants, UK) in case you end up in hospital!"

I broke my leg in HS. I was wearing the rattiest, holey, sad pair of underpants ever. I was hopped up on drugs and all I heard was my mother screaming about my underwear. Lol.

My mom said wear clean panties, not pretty ones, in case I was in an accident. That was in the 60's.

The Granny told me this when I was young! 🤣🤣🤣

Yeah, my mom also told me this regularly. It was only for girls, tho. It went along with “boys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses,” “beauty must suffer,” and a bunch of other misogynist c**p that women passed along to each other in that era.

Take on the old "wear clean underwear incase you get hit by a bus"

As the EMTs cut them off into rags to save her life after she gets hit by said car...

Oh, yes, it was. Clean panties and no pins in your slip because the nurses at the hospital would be disgusted with you as they are cutting them off your dead body. No kidding.

Can confirm. This was a more important topic than say car seats or cigarette use.

If you get hit hard enough, it won't matter how clean they were when you put them on

Of course we were told to always have clean underwear on because if we didn't and ended up in the hospital you'd embarrass your family if you were wearing dirty ones. It would imply that your mother didn't care or take care of her family.

My mother used to say this exact same thing.

Well now it has at least been typed 😂

Maybe not that, but have heard "Are these even still considered underwear?", and not sure you want to be on that end either.