There is good evidence that seat design and impact severities in terms of delta-V and acceleration plays a role in Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 1 neck injury outcomes in the event of a rear impact. This study evaluates a number of current production seats to assess the AIS 1 neck injury protection potential at different impact severities. Five different seat designs were exposed to four different impact severities in a sled simulating a rear impact. The same delta-V produced with different peak accelerations generated very different dummy responses. Head restraint position influenced the angular and horizontal displacement of the head relative to torso and the time of head to head restraint contact. The lowest motion of the head relative to the torso was found in the two anti-whiplash seats tested. The results of the study can be used for the design of future vehicle seats and anti-whiplash systems. (Author/publisher)
Abstract