Head Restraints Can Save Your NECK
by Cheryl Jensen

Automobile head restraints, those things perched on top of the seats that most of us call “head rests,” became a safety requirement in 1969 to help prevent whiplash injuries that can occur when the head is thrown backward suddenly, usually in a rear-end collision.

Since then, head restraints have received little attention in spite of the fact that these neck injuries are the most serious injuries reported in 30 to 40 percent of automobile insurance claims, according to findings of the Insurance Research Council, a research group in Wheaton, Ill., that is financed by insurance companies.

While whiplash sometimes figures in cases of insurance fraud, it’s also a serious safety issue—particularly for women who are much more likely than men to get whiplash injuries.

The symptoms of whiplash can vary, depending on which muscles and nerves are damaged. They can include neck pain and decreased range of motion, headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears, numbness and tingling of the fingers, and hand-grip weakness. There’s speculation that whiplash injury can trigger and accelerate degenerative disk disease. In the worst cases, symptoms can become chronic and debilitating.

The need for safer restraints

Although head restraints in theory can help prevent these injuries, to do the job they must be well-designed. Most, however, are not, safety experts say.

Most restraints either do not lock—which means they can be pushed down by a head snapping back—or they can’t be raised high enough or moved close enough to the back of the head to protect the vulnerable neck.

Two studies done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), one in 1995 and the most recent in 1997, found that head restraint designs were generally deficient in preventing these injuries. The most recent study looked at 200 passenger vehicles from the 1997 model year, and found that only five had well-designed systems. Those were the Honda Civic del Sol, the Toyota Supra, the Volvo 850 (which has been renamed the S70 and V70), the Volvo 960 (now the S90 and V90), and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. In addition, 33 vehicles were rated acceptable, 49 were marginal, and 124 were poor. (CONTINUE...)