Research released by Brake and Direct Line finds two out of three of drivers don’t know how to correctly position their head restraints, yet a correctly fitted head restraint can help reduce the chance of suffering a serious neck or head injury in a crash.
Two out of three respondents said they didn’t know how to correctly position their head restraints, or incorrectly thought the top of a head restraint should be level with your neck or ears. The remaining one in three drivers correctly say the top of a head restraint should be level with the top of your head to give your head protection and to stop your neck ‘hyper-extending’ backwards in a crash, potentially breaking it or giving you other severe injuries.
Two out of three respondents said they never or rarely check their head restraints. Only one in seven drivers claimed to always check.
Case study: Michelle Houldershaw suffered whiplash injuries on 23 November 2000 following a car crash in Boston, Lincolnshire. Doctors later diagnosed her injuries as having developed into vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) – a condition which has caused Michelle to have two heart attacks and seven paralyses, which have similar effects to those of a stroke.
Michelle Houldershaw says: “A short loss of concentration from the driver behind caused complicated whiplash and led to neck pain and spasms. From being an independent, active person; I became a disabled person who was being cared for by her two young children and husband. If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a car crash, don’t suffer more than you have to – adjust your head restraint to the correct height.”
Brake, the road safety charity 27.8.09
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