Avoiding Whiplash In Car Accidents

Avoiding Whiplash In Car Accidents

By Jason Mizrahi - Owner of Worldwide Auto Leasing

www.WorldwideAutoLeasing.com

732.534.4430

Getting hit from the rear of your vehicle can cause your head to jerk back and forth like a bobble-head doll, leaving you stuck with more than just a damaged vehicle. Even minor accidents can leave you with whiplash, a condition affecting the ligaments and muscles of the neck and shoulders, typically caused by rear-end collisions. Whiplash can cause lasting distress and discomfort, but a properly configured head restraint system can reduce or even prevent such an injury.

So what exactly are head restraints? They are what most people think of as headrests, but that's not their primary function. Head restraints are designed to restrict head movement during a rear-impact collision and reduce the chance of neck and shoulder injury. They're an important (though often overlooked) safety feature that all vehicles are equipped with today.

Most vehicles contain manually adjustable head restraints. Head restraints are most effective when they are close to your head, restraints are also required to sit no farther than 2 inches from the back of an occupant's head, in other words to be effective, the top of the restraint should lie somewhere between the top of your ears and the top of your head. If your head restraint moves with horizontal adjustment, it should be placed so that it's as close to your head as possible, without pushing your head forward or causing the height of the restraint to drop. The position of your seat back is also important — less is better when it comes to reclining. A more upright seat back means that the head restraint will likely be in a safer position — one that's closer to your head.

So the next time you get into your car, give some thought to the head restraints perched atop those seat backs. They could very well wind up saving your neck someday!.

Feel Free to contact Worldwide Auto Leasing at 732.534.4430 or at info@WorldwideAutoLeasing.com with any of your car safety questions or for a free quote on a new vehicle.