INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY
Short summary:
Toyota Supra and two Volvo models the 850 and 960. In contrast dozens. of vehicles have head restraints that are neither high enough nor close ...
Long summary:
INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETYPage 1For Immediate ReleaseTuesday April 8 1997ONLY 5 PASSENGER VEHICLES OUT OF 200+ EVALUATED HAVEGOOD HEAD RESTRAINT DESIGNS. MORE THAN HALF ARE POOR.ARLINGTON VA In the most comprehensive evaluation of head restraintdesigns the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that morethan half of all 1997 passenger vehicles measured have poor restraints(see attached list). Fewer than 3 percent have head restraint designswith good geometry.The five vehicles with good head restraint geometry are the Honda Civicdel Sol Mercedes E class with restraints that adjust automatically theToyota Supra and two Volvo models the 850 and 960. In contrast dozensof vehicles have head restraints that are neither high enough nor closeenough to the back of the head to have the potential to protect many people in rearend collisions.A sad showing says Institute President Brian ONeill. This issuehasnt been a priority among automakers. Its a situation that needs tochange because to have a good head restraint design good geometry is the necessary first step.Head restraints have been required safety features in cars since 1969.Intended to prevent whiplash and other neck injuries in rearend crashesthese restraints have to be positioned behind and close enough to thebacks of peoples heads to have the potential to provide protection. However most head restraints arent designed for proper positioning. What Makes Good Head Restraint GeometryTwo criteria determine good head restraint geometry (see illustrations onpage 2). The first is height and a head restraint ideally should be ashigh as the top of the head. The second criterion is backset or the distance between the back of an occupants head and the front of the restraint. This distance should be small the smaller the better. Backsets of more than about four inches have been associated with increased MORE INSURANCE INSTITUTEFOR HIGHWAY SAFETY1005 N. GLEBE RD. ARLINGTON VA 22201 TEL. 703/2471500 ...
Source: www.iihs.org
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