Car Manufacturers Need to be More Pro-active to Beat Whiplash

Car manufacturers are not doing enough to help protect against whiplash. Statistics show that in America a rear-end crash occurs every 17 seconds. One of the most common injuries sustained in these types of accidents is whiplash. Whiplash occurs when the force of an impact causes a person’s head to move rapidly forward and then snap back. This action can hyperextend the neck and damage the nerves and ligaments, resulting in ongoing pain and stiffing of the neck. Whiplash can occur even if a crash takes place at low speeds of around ten miles per hour.

The good news is that a lot can be done to protect against whiplash injuries. One simple way would be to install adequate head rests and seatbacks for all passengers, which can reduce the effects of whiplash by providing support to the head. However car manufacturers seem reluctant to spend money in this area, as most car safety reports focus on other areas of importance, most likely because whiplash injuries are very rarely fatal.

But although the injuries may not be fatal they can still cause a lot of discomfort and may result in vertebrate in the neck fracturing and ligaments becoming severed. Later on in life accident victims may suffer from arthritis in the neck as a result of the injury. Every year in America around two million claims for whiplash are filed, with roughly 10 percent of these injuries so serious that they will result in long term damage.

Car manufacturers need to pay more attention to developing headrests and seats that will minimise the effects of whiplash. However this is a challenge, as there is no one sizes fits all and an effective headrest and seat needs to accommodate people of all different shapes and sizes. In addition there needs to be flexibility in the system to allow people to tailor the headrests to their needs, so that they get the maximum benefit. This is especially important for tall people, who are at a higher risk of suffering severe whiplash injuries.

While the car manufacturers need to ensure that the vehicles they produce are as safe as they can be, drivers and passengers need to do their bit as well. Most head rests are adjustable and correct positioning will help prevent severe whiplash. The problem is that most people do not know how to alter their headrest, or what the best position is. In addition many people don’t have the time to change their headrest, or don’t even think that it can help them if they had an accident. Education is required to help drivers and passengers understand the value of making sure that their head rest is currently positioned before driving, just like they ensure they put on their seatbelt.

Cars produced in 2009 will have to meet new federal requirements which concentrate on reducing neck injuries. This rule came in 2005 and aims to bring American car manufacturers up to the standards of their European counter parts. Hopefully this will force the car industry to realise that whiplash can be a life changing injury and more needs to be done to prevent it from occurring.