Technology In Auto Collision Safety: Is Big Better?

Many people feel safer in a bigger vehicle; they believe there will be less chance of severe injury if they are involved in an accident. In the event of a rear end crash, head restraints are important for proper head and neck support. Studies have shown that many larger vehicles, like SUVs, that were analyzed by an insurance industry group did not have proper seat back and head restraint combinations. Passengers in these vehicles are at a greater risk of suffering a whiplash injury.
Rear-end crashes are very common. Though fatalities are rare, whiplash injuries are a major problem that cost insurance companies millions in claims each year. Pain and lack of flexibility can disable victims for years.
Rear Crash Protection
Airbags are only designed to work in front-end crashes to provide front, side and rollover protection. Researchers are looking at the geometry of seats and head restraints as a way to protect people from injury in a rear end crash. They use mannequins in crash simulation labs to determine the possibility of injury based on geometric data.
Some auto makers are working on improving rear-crash safety with improved seat designs and head restraints. Head restraints are required in the front seats of passenger vehicles; however, their shape and size continues to vary. There are currently no requirements for the back seat.
Seats and head restraints work together to provide the support needed in rear-end crashes. The force of the crash pushes a passengers body forward while the head remains behind the torso, causing the neck to stretch and resulting in whiplash injuries. The degree of injury depends on many factors, including the persons weight, position on impact, the shape of the seat and the position of the head restraint.
Head restraints are crucial for keeping the head and body aligned as much as possible in case of a rear-end crash. Studies have shown that the best head restraints are height and angle adjustable and the seatback is designed to work well with the head restraint. Finally, it is important for passengers to adjust their head restraint properly and wear their seat belts.
The Problem with Back Seats
Back seat passengers have little or no protection from whiplash injuries. Some vehicles have built-in head restraints that cannot be adjusted; theyre just bumps on top of the seat back.
Some vehicles have adjustable head restraints that dont lock into place so the can drop down when pressure is put on them. Some head restraints block the drivers view out the rear window. One good idea that has been implemented in some cars is the head restraints that can be folded down when not in use.
Car manufacturers have a ways to go in creating and designing good seat back and head restraint systems for protection in rear-end crashes. Most cars rate poor to fair in this category.
Joaquin Hernandez owns and operates Collision on Wheels, a mobile auto body repair shop. Like crash safety technology, auto body shops have also improved their methods to provide a safer atmosphere for their technicians and the environment. Collision on Wheels only uses PPG Envirobase products for a healthier work place and to reduce the VOCs released into the atmosphere. Visit http://www.collisiononwheels.com to learn more.