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April 28, 2006     Barnstable Patriot
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April 28, 2006
 
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Preventing Whiplash dmmmmp \r \ If you've ever been in a ear accident then it's more than likely you /x know the feeling of waking up the next day with that nagging v' 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 depending on the type of headrest you have and if it is adjuste d properly. Indeed , the term "headrest" is really quite misleading. This fixture in your automobile 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 reduce whiplash. In fact , safety experts and automakers call these fixtures by their proper term - head restraint. TheInsurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), one of two groups in the United States that provide consumers with crash test ratings, began study- ing the effectiveness of head restraints in 1995. At that time, just five vehicles were designated with a "Good" rating (the Institute's highest score) for their head restraints. The Institute used a "static" test, essentially a series of measurements of a crash test dummy's head in relation to the head restraint -what the Institute calls "head restraint geometry." Since then head restraints have improved dramati- cally.In the IIHS' study of 2004 model-year vehicles, 80 percent ofvehicles had "Good" or "Acceptable "ratings for their head restraints. But the IIHS recently devel- oped a "dynamic" test, in which the seat and a crash test dummy are actually propelled forward on a sled to simulateacrash. The samevehicles 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 dynamictest were rated "Poor" (the Institute's lowest score), and many of them are some ofthe best- selling vehicles on the market. As the IIHS suspected from its initial tests back in 1995, head restraints that have acceptable geometry are not guaranteed to be top performers in the dynamic test. / *. Real-World Research In addition to conducting tests in its research facility, the IIHS also studied the effectiveness of head restraints inreal-world crashes using claims data provided by several insurance companies. The study assessed the old and new seat/head restraint designs in a variety of vehicles. Automakers took three different approaches to the whip- lash problem - improve the geometry of the restraints (so they were closer to the occupants' heads and more centered behind them); design active head restraints (the occupant'storso moves back into the seat while the head restraint simultaneously moves closer to the head); and redesign the seatbacks themselves (the seat moves in order to support the body). Of allthe designs studied,the IIHS determined that the key to reducing whiplash injury is to 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 approach was used. Seeing Results Although the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin- istration (NHTSA) does not rate head restraints, /-. the governmental agency sees valuein the research (•* / conducted by the IIHS and by individual automakers. Ac- knowledging the role that seat and head restraint design plays in reducing whiplash, it 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 adjustable , they must lock in place after positioning. These same rules will apply to rear-seat head restraints if they are installed on a vehicle, but it does not require automakers to equip vehicles with head restraints in the rear. The regulation goes into effect on all passenger ve- hicles 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 . Protecting Yourself Since your chances of being in a rear-end collision and ex- periencing whiplash at some point in your life are pretty high, it makes good sense to take a few simple measures to protect yourself. Here are some tips from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Recline your seatback a little less. A seatback that is more upright means the upper part ofthe seat and head restraint are likely to be closer to your head. Adjust your head restraint. About 80 percent of all passen- ger vehicles in the U.S. have adjustable head restraints, yet studies indicate less than 10 percent of the driving public adjusts them. To adjust your head 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 adjustments regardless of whether you are a driver or a passenger. Check the head restraint ratings when shopping. When it comes time to buy a new vehicle, assess the IIHS head re- straint ratings at www.hwysafety.orgunder the "Vehicle Ratings"tab. Use these when comparison shoppingjust Jfifc, the way you would use other crash test scores. tjUP The Barnstable Patriot welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep them brief and either type or print them neatly. Include name, address and telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be published, but names will be withheld upon request. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. THE BARNSTABLE PATRIOT noLn rrt on nnv -ions OR E-MAILTO P.O. BOX 1Z08 letters@barnstablepatriol com HYANNIS, MA 02601 ™ LuoH.Mduie! j(wiuuum Letters to the editor P== =~ 1 ^ Kjil^^K^Sfl ¦ Am f^ffNR^IPPHHH&H The Patriot Office r^ * ; ^ ^g^ j^ l| l ^^^Bl^ 396 Mam Street . Suite 15 I , j Hyannis. MA. 02601 EJSSSEMMH C«// 508.771.1427 ^ ^ ^ M^ ^ M^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Mor visit the web site j^j^ Kf^^^^^ ^^^^^l^l^l^H www.barnstablepatriot.com HOURS: MON.-FRI. 7 AM - 6 PM j g g j g l tl*n mm n T i i i n SAT. 7:30 AM - 12 PM fB^g*— 508-771-1111 x aervice.inc. 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