What is the safety effect of head restraints?

Answer

Head restraints are intended to prevent or reduce neck injuries (such as whiplash) in head-on crashes. An American study based on insurance data shows that cars in which seats and head restraints could properly be fitted to the body length of the front passenger, the risk of neck injuries was 11% lower than it was for cars in which this customisation was not possible [69]. On the basis of personal injury claims, no conclusion about injury severity may be drawn.

The top of the head restraint should at least end above the ear to prevent or reduce neck injury. The horizontal distance between the head and the head restraint should be as small as possible, but definitely not greater than ten centimetres [70]. Depending on body length, these criteria can be met by properly adjusting the chair angle and the angle and height of the head restraint, if the restraint is adjustable. In a sample of over 1,000 front occupants, the head restraint was adjusted to the proper minimum height for 26% of the drivers and 48% of the passengers [70]. An American observation study found that, in order to reduce neck injuries, the head restraint was at the required minimum height for only 10% of the drivers [71]. On the basis of crash tests with dummies, Viano and Gargan [71] estimate that a suboptimal height of the head restraint more than triples the risk of neck injuries compared to head restraints at an optimal height.

For new cars in Europe, front head restraints have been mandatory since 1997. If rear head restraints are present, they have to meet the requirements of the UN/ECE vehicle guidelines 17 and 25.

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Part of fact sheet

Safe passenger cars

Since the seventies, the safety of car occupants has greatly improved, expressed in both the number of road crash fatalities and in mortality risk. Meer

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