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January 6, 2006     Barnstable Patriot
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January 6, 2006
 
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AN ACTIVE HEAD - Active head restraints,likethose from Saab,Volvo and Mercedes-Benz (shown here) can reduce whiplash injuries. By Tara Bapuj^lo You Can Reduce i Whiplash \ If you've ever been in a car | accident then it's more than likely you know the feeling of waking up the next day with that nagging soreness in your neck. That pain, | known as whiplash, is the | most common type of injury after a rear-end crash. While whiplash may be common, it is an injury that can be far less severe and sometimes | prevented entirely depend- ing on the type of headrest you have and if it is adjusted properly. Indeed,theterm"headrest" | is really quite misleading. | This fixture in your automo- bile is not for resting your head. Its true purpose is to protect your head from thrusting too far backward | in a rear-end collision — in other words, it's there to re- duce whiplash. In fact,safety experts and automakers call these fixtures by their proper I term — head restraint. \ The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), one of two groups in the United States that provide consum- ers with crash test ratings, 1 began studyingthe effective- j ness of head restraints in 1995. At that time, just five vehicles were designated with a "Good" rating (the Institute'shighest score) for their head restraints. The Institute used a static ^^- r$ ' test, essentially a series of measurements of a crashtest dummy's head in relation to the head restraint—what the Institute calls"head restraint geometry." Since then head restraints have improved dramatically. In the IIHS' study of 2004 model-year vehicles, 80 per- cent ofvehicleshad "Good"or "Acceptable"ratingsfor their head restraints, among the highest the Institute gives. But the IIHS recently devel- oped adynamictest,inwhich the seat and a special crash test dummy that can mea- sure the impact to a human neck and spine are actually propelled forward on a sled to simulate a crash. The same vehicles that scored well in the static test did not perform well in the dynamic test. In fact, 54 of 97 cars the Institute tested recently in the dynamic test were rated "Poor" (the In- stitute's lowest score), and manyof them are some of the best-selling vehicles on the market. Only ahandful of ve- hicles received the Institute's highest rating, including all models ofVolvosand the Saab 9-2X and 9-3 models. How Pass Becomes Fail Asthe IIHS suspected from its initial tests back in 1995, head restraints that have acceptable geometry are not guaranteedto be top perform- ersinthe dynamictest.Infact , of the vehicles tested ^ - <§> recently,nine that were rated "Good" and21thatwererated "Acceptable" in their geom- » etry performed poorly in the dynamic test. "Those failed i because the head restraint 1 doesn'tmeet the head quickly § enough — either because the seatback deforms and bends back too far or because it is too stiff and therefore pushes too hard," says Adrian Lund, chief operating officer at the IIHS. With some vehicles, there were small differences be- 1 tween the seats used on spe- | cific models that affected the § testresults.Forexample,when the2004-2005VolkswagenNew Beetle had seats equipped with both adjustable lumbar support and active head re- straints, it received a "Good" rating. Take away the lumbar support , however, and the New Beetle received only an "Acceptable" rating. i Real-World Research In addition to conducting § tests in its research facility, the IIHS also studied the ef- fectiveness of head restraints in real-world crashes using claims data provided by Na- tionwide , Progressive and State Farm insurance com- panies. The study assessed the old and new seat/head restraint designs in a variety | of vehicles. Of all the designs | studied,the IIHSdetermined that the key to reducing whiplash injury isto keep the occupant's head and torso moving together.The results of the data suggested some improvement in injury claims regardless of what type of system was used. One definitive findingwasa 43-percent reduction in neck 1 injury claim rates for Saab, | General Motors and Nissan models equipped with active head restraints. While Volvo and Saab have had its whip- lash-reducinghead restraints onthe market for years,other automakers are beginningto adopt similar designs. /^\ Mercedes-Benz has \ s recently introduced Active Head Rests in several of its 2006 model year vehicles, whichhad not been tested by the IIHS at press time. Interestingly, the study found that the decrease in neck injury claims in women was far greater than for men. Of the Saabs in the study, for example, there was a 55- percent reduction in claim rates for women, compared with 31percent for men. This was particularly encouraging to the researchers because women have a much higher occurrence of whiplash in- juries in rear-end crashes than men. "It's a bit of a mystery why we see larger improvements with women than men,"says Lund. "One theory is that women'sneckmusclesarenot as strong, so they experience greater injury in the same type of crash. It may also have to do with the fact that women generally weigh less than men, so the acceleration of their bodies in a crash is greater." Seeing Results Acknowledging the role that seat and head restraint designplaysinreducingwhip- lash, the National Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration has created a new regulation that will require front-seat head restraints to sit closer to the back of the head and be centered vertically behind it. If head restraints are ad- justable, they must lock in place after positioning. The regulation goes into effect on all passenger vehicles that are manufactured from September 1, 2008, onward. It estimates that whiplash injuries will drop by 17,000 when all new vehicles meet the requirement. Tara Baukus Mello, a Hyannis native, owes her passion for cars to her father,who gave her an appreciation for all things automotive. © 2005- 2006,Tara Baukus Mello,All Rights Reserved. I l l Protecting Yourself Since you're chances of being inarear-end collision and experi- encingwhiplash at some point in your life are pretty high, it makes good sense to take a few simple measurestoprotectyourself.Here are some tips from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: • Reclineyour seatback alittle less.Aseatback that ismore up- rightmeansthe upper part ofthe seat and head restraint arelikely to be closer to your head. • Adjust your head restraint. About 80percent of allpassenger vehicles in the U.S. have adjust- able head restraints,yet studies indicate less than 10 percent of the driving public adjusts them. Toadjust yourhead restraint,lift it up so it is at least to the top of your ears. If your head restraint is able to tip forward, move it closer to the back of your head. You should make these adjust- mentsregardless of whether you are a driver or a passenger. • Check the head restraint ratings when shopping. When it comes timeto buy anewvehicle, assess the IIHS head restraint ratings at www.hwysafety.org under the "Vehicle Ratings" tab.Use thesewhen comparison shoppingjust the wayyou would use other crash test scores. Superintendent search... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Maine while working as a coach and language arts teacher and a district athletic administrator and social studies teacher. Next, he became assistant prin- cipal of Presque Isle High School, then superintendent of schools in Limestone.In 2001, he took on his current position and in 2003 re- ceived hisdoctorate ineducational leadershipfromNovaSoutheastern University. Bearden helps administer a sys- tem with2,200 students, 170teach- ers, and a $20 million budget. MaineDistrict l'sphilosophy,he said,isthat "every decision isbased onwhat'sinthe best interest ofkids and improving student achieve- ment. It looks like the Barnstable School Committee has the same philosophy." Bearden said he shares the committee's commitment to site- based management. Although he doesn't have direct experience, he said, he's done a lot of research and agrees with the effort "to get resources directly to the kids who need it most.Those people who are in the building know best." The assistant superintendent describes himself as "very much of a collaborator" who's proud of his strong military background. "Some people associate that with top-down, hierarchical," he said, "(but) the military has changed a lot over the years. It's much more in tune with the way businesses operate. Apple and Microsoft use site-based management." In his Maine district, Bearden said, "we don't call it site-based management, but we very much include staff in decision-making." Major changes aren't made, he said, "without the involvement of the community, staff, the major stakeholders." Another strength of his district, he said, is that "we are very active in our communications with con- stituencies. We are very clear when there are needs in the district and why they need to be addressed." The system, he said, has never had itsbudget turned downat any of the town meetings that pass judgment on it annually. Bearden said he'sbeen following the Barnstable schools for about threemonths and is aware ofissues such as the condition of Hyannis East Elementary. "One thing you have to do when you live in northern Maine is take care of your buildings," he said. "If not, they can fall apart in a hurry. Our buildings are very well maintained, very neat, very clean. We want students to come into an environment conducive to learn- ing, and for employees conducive to work." Bearden said he would bring "a lot of enthusiasm" to the job, in part because he has school-aged children himself.Also, at 43,he can envision a long career here if he's "the right fit. "Thisisacommunity I'm excited about," Bearden said. Patricia Grenier You could call Grenier the su- perintendent next door. She lives in Harwich Port and commutes to the South Shore town of Carver, which has 2,100 students.320 staff members (including 175teachers) and a budget heading toward $20 million. Grenier'sinspiration for alifelong career in education was her "very traditional Irish workaholic dad," whohad to drop out of high school to provide for hisyounger siblings. "My dad always said education wasincredibly important,"he said. "I would say my education has opened every door in my life." The superintendent has a bach- elor's in special education and a master's in education counseling psychology from Fitchburg State College as well as a doctorate in education in curriculum, admin- istration, and special education from Boston College. Her career began as a special educationteacher inthe Fitchburg schools. She's been director of education at a secure treatment facility,aschool adjustment coun- selor, a director of special educa- tion, a principal, and an assistant superintendent. "I think that's one of the great advantagesIhave."Greniersaid."I love mybroad-based background. It allows me to put myself in the shoesofother people. When they're struggling with an issue, pretty much I've been there. It allows me to be a great resource to people." Grenier said she was "very intrigued by the restrucuring ini- tiative Barnstable was pursuing. I thought potentially it would fit my leadership style." Her doctoral thesis was on the effectiveness of school councils. "Unless people had site-based budgeting, site-based manage- ment washard to achieve,"Grenier said."Barnstablehastaken it to the level of site-based budgeting.'' The superintendent said she favors "open, honest and direct communication (in) dealing with concerns immediately. There's a risk in that in and of itself, (but) honesty has always prevailed in my world." One of Grenier'sschoolsin Carver was placed incorrectly on a watch list for the failure of certain groups of students to make Annual Yearly Progress. She pointed out the er- ror, but said that , as in Barnstable, there are cohorts of students who are not "making" AYE "Philosophically. " she said, "I believe if we have quality teaching in all classrooms and that teach- ers share the responsibility for all students, that MCAS results will follow along. I know that sounds very simple,but it'squite complex. Weneed to ensure every child has a quality learning opportunity. " Coincidentally, the superinten- dent's job in Harwich became available just recently. Is Grenier tempted to live and work in the same town? "At this point, I'm comfortable with the position I'm in in Barn- stable." she said. "I would love to bring that search to fruition before anythingelse. Barnstable is unique and intriguing and attracted me. and I'm happy where I am." Nancy Lane One connection between Barn- stable and Brookline is the fierce identification of residents with their villages within the towns. That's one of the attractions for Lane. "There'smore of asense of people belonging to an identified com- munity," she said. "You have the culture of that community drive each of your schools, so they 're unique. That' s appealing to a superintendent. I want to bring the sum of each of your schools together to strengthen and make more complex (the system). Each can contribute so much by its in- dividual identity." Brookline suffers from the same rap that Barnstable labors under. "People think we're a lot richer than we are,"Lane said. "We have schools that are really challenged. more urban than suburban. At our largest elementary school, there's 30 percent transiency. I've been in charge of homeless (students). There were three shelters i in town) last year." Lane, who lives on the South Shore, holds a bachelor 's in el- ementary education from Boston State College and a master's in special education from Bridgewa- ter State College She earned a certificate of advanced graduate study in educational leadership at Bridgewater as well. She directed the West Bridge- water High School alternative program, then served as,adminis- trator of special education for that system. She was direct or of special education in Foxborough before joining Brookline, where she's in charge of special education , guid- ance, counseling, foreign student enrollment,town employee depen- dent enrollment , health services and internship programs. Like Barnstable . Brookline has 6,000 students and a budget of $63 million. There are 400 teachers. "Site-basedmanagementspail of education reform."Lane said. "Dis- tricts take their own perspect ive on that. Barnstable has really taken it tothe nth degree,Iabsolutely agree. It'saway to maximize the effective- ness of your principals." Lane said Barnstable appears to want "not only a strong leader but a stable leader. I've had a history of coming into positions that have been seen as challenging and being very successful in them. " Herinspirationisher love oftcach- ing. "There'snothing more reward- ing than finally opening that door for somebody (who realizes) 'I can do this.' The reason I left teaching andwent intomanagement wassoI can make sure that happens for the greatest number of kids." -o—o- ^^*5*^¦¦ ©^' o1 -'S1-o—o- l^ llKMtf T£%HI I Cars in Motion Drivers Wanted. _ 9r *i.. ^¦ ¦¦ t^pB^y ^^¦ ¦^ 508-775-3049 • 1-800-439-3049 wrww.tracyvw.com __—___—-——————— ¦ —-——^ — v^PuRiTan IT'S FINALLY HERE! 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