Contemplating these drawings brings to mind the (not surprisingly) continuing unknowns surrounding whiplash and whiplash-associated disorders, the range of injuries to the neck most commonly caused by rear impact crashes.  Whiplash is characterized by a range of symptoms not necessarily localized and with wide ranging severity: pain and aching in the neck, shoulder and back, headaches, and sensory disturbances in the arms and even the legs.  The symptoms can be short-lived or they may emerge more slowly, linger and in some cases become chronic.  The jolt from behind that suddenly snaps back the head produces the injury.  Muscles and ligaments may be stretched or torn but the exact mechanism of the injury is still not fully understood.

 

Whiplash continues to be one of the main injuries covered by car insurers the world over, so much so that an organization dedicated to whiplash prevention has been established, the Insurance Whiplash Prevention Group or IIWPG consisting of the following members: ICBC (Canada), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (USA), Thatcham Research (UK), Insurance Australia Group, GDV Research (Germany), CESVIMAP (Spain), and Folksam Insurance (Sweden).

 

Prevention measures have focused on car seat design, and specifically on head restraints or headrests to minimize head snapping movement during a rear impact crash.  Federally mandated in the United States in front seats since 1969, head restraints have been evolving since then.  In 1993, for example, ICBC's Vehicle Safety and Research department started a head restraint rating program in which they developed a tool for assessing head restraint geometry, the ICBC Head Restraint Measuring Device, 180 of which are used around the world by auto manufacturers and their seat suppliers to design head restraints that qualify for the highest rating—a ‘good’ rating—from IIWPG members.  US regulations now require all car models from 2008 forward to have headrests rated ‘good’ for head restraint geometry.

 

Adjustable head restraints are reportedly most effective when the top of the restraint is somewhere between the top of your ears and the top of your head.  The restraint should be adjusted horizontally to be as close to your head as possible, without pushing your head forward or causing the height of the restraint to drop.  The position of the seatback is also important.  The more upright your seat back, the more likely the head restraint is in a safer position, closer to your head.

 

Innovation continues in the form of dynamic head restraint systems designed to deploy automatically and enlisting the seatback as well as the head restraint to cradle and support the head and torso.  A list of vehicles with ‘whiplash protection systems’ is available on www.edmunds.com.