Seat safety tests help reduce whiplash injuries

New research shows that it may be safer to drive a van than be in a small car in the event of an accident.

According to Thatcham, the Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre, the research showed that seat and head restraint design had improved in most models to prevent whiplash injuries.

However the testing also highlighted the inadequacy of whiplash protection afforded by seats in small city cars, a sector that need it the most.

In testing only two city cars received an acceptable rating, none had a good rating. Even new models faired poorly with the likes of the Fiat 500 only rating marginal even though it was released this year.

With the small city car becoming evermore popular the need for manufacturers to act is becoming a necessity. As the city car spends the majority of its life in and around traffic and it is in this environment that low speed shunts, which lead to whiplash injuries, occur the most.

As the cars are designed to be small and light they need the best protection for their occupants as they are vulnerable to higher forces when they are hit by larger, heavier vehicles.

Thatcham has been testing motor vehicle seats since 2004 and comparing the data from them till now shows that manufacturers have taken on board some of the results as a third of all seats tested now receive a good rating with only a sixth rated as poor. This is a reversal from the 2004 tests, where only a sixth were rated good and a third were rated poor.

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