Drivers told to adjust head rests to avoid whiplash
In an attempt to reduce the number of whiplash injuries and thus whiplash claims from being filed, motorists have been advised to adjust their head restraints for a safer journey.
Research revealed that headrests are one of the most forgotten about road safety tools in vehicles today, with many driver’s not even realising the importance of such a device.
A new report has shown that head rests can play a major role in preventing neck, brain and spinal cord related personal injuries when an individual has been involved in a road accident.
The study showed that 14% of motorists do ‘not have their headrests in the accurate position or do not know where to place their head exactly."
Stephan Hay, an insurance and claims expert said that headrests are often under rated: “Headrests are designed to work alongside the seatbelt so that when an accident occurs it prevents the head from twisting backwards, which subsequently results in whiplash.”
He pointed out just how vulnerable drivers are: “Drivers can sustain an injury from an incorrectly adjusted headrest even at speeds as low as 15 kilometres per hour - about the same speed as the average bicycle.”
Updated on 5/1/2009