Head restraints

Vehicle test results

Head restraint ratings by make and model

Q&A: Neck injury

Informational video

Head restraint test on crash simulation sled

Explanation of head restraint test

Selected research bibliography

Highlights from the Institute's research since 1969

News releases

July 3, 2007 Rear crash protection in SUVs, pickup trucks, & minivans: most of their seat/head restraints are marginal or poor

April 5, 2007 Rear crash protection in cars: seat/head restraints in two of every three models are marginal or poor

January 8, 2006 Rear crash protection in SUVs & pickups: most seat/head restraints would do a poor job of protecting people's necks in rear-end crashes

September 18, 2005 Tests of seat/head restraints in minivans: Fords are only models to earn top rating; most seat/head restraints provide inadequate protection against neck injuries in rear crashes

November 14, 2004 New dynamic tests of seats & head restraints in cars: Few seat/head restraint combinations do a good job of protecting people from neck injury in rear-end crashes; most are rated poor — Insurers join in 1st international release of vehicle safety information

September 25, 2003 Head restraints are much better than they used to be; most of them still need to be adjusted to protect the neck

October 22, 2002 New vehicle seat and head restraint designs are reducing neck injuries in rear-end crashes

October 4, 2001 Head restraints in cars, pickups, and SUVs improve; more than half now are rated good or acceptable

June 3, 1999 Head restraint designs are improved in 1999 models, but restraints in a third of all models are still poor

December 8, 1998 Whiplash injuries much less likely to occur in cars with new seat/head restraint combination, advanced crash tests show

September 22, 1998 Car head restraints with designs rated good reduce neck injuries in on-the-road crashes

April 8, 1997 Only 5 passenger vehicles out of 200+ evaluated have good head restraint designs; more than half are poor

Status Report newsletter special issues

Vol. 39, No. 10, November 20, 2004: Special issue: New seat/head restraint ratings compare protection in rear-end crashes based on dynamic test performance as well as restraint geometry • Two-step procedure for rating seat/head restraints in 63 car models • Ratings of 97 seat/head restraints • BioRID was developed for rear impact testing at low to moderate speeds • Crash simulation sled

Vol. 34, No. 5, May 22, 1999: Special issue: neck injuries in rear-end crashes: includes table of head restraint ratings for 1999 model passenger cars, pickups and SUVs • The seats and head restraints in many vehicles don't protect people's necks, but new designs show promise • Snapshot history of head restraints shows better ones needed — and may be on the way • Understanding the fundamentals of whiplash injuries points toward effective prevention strategies • Understanding whiplash injury mechanisms leads to new injury criterion and a better dummy to assess injury likelihood • Head restraint height, distance from back of head determine geometric fit • Head restraints with good geometry reduce neck injuries in on-the-road collisions • Magnitude of the whiplash injury problem worldwide — compensation systems influence injury reporting • Going beyond geometry: advanced designs of head restraints and seatbacks promise to reduce whiplash injuries

Vol. 32, No. 4, April 12, 1997: Special issue: head restraints: includes table of head restraint ratings for 1997 model passenger cars, pickups, SUVs, and large vans • Cost of whiplash injuries • How bad are they? — head restraints rated • Head restraint design: what's new now and what's just around the corner

Status Report newsletter articles

Vol. 43, No. 2, March 15, 2008: Seat/head restraints that earn good ratings, based on dynamic tests, reduce neck injury risk among drivers of rear-struck vehicles

Vol. 42, No. 8, August 4, 2007: Seats and head restraints in cars and SUVs improve while those in pickups and minivans aren't showing the same progress

Vol. 40, No. 2, January 31, 2005: Head restraint geometry to improve under new federal regulation

Vol. 38, No. 9, September 25, 2003: Head restraint geometry has been improving since the 1995 model year • Most adjustable head restraints aren't being adjusted upward • Head restraint ratings: more than 200 passenger vehicles earn ratings from good to poor based on restraint geometry

Vol. 37, No. 9, October 22, 2002: Improved seat/head restraint designs are reducing insurance claims for neck injuries in rear-end crashes

Vol. 37, No. 6, June 8, 2002: HyperG sled acquisition launches new Institute testing programs

Vol 36, No. 9, October 6, 2001: Head restraints are improving; geometry is better, and some cars have advanced head restraint designs • Head restraint ratings are based on height and backset; for the time being, active designs automatically earn top ratings

Vol 36, No. 4, April 28, 2001: Proposed head restraint rule would ensure better restraint geometry • Head restraint evaluation procedures, both static and dynamic, are being refined for international use

Regulatory comment

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning the Global Technical Regulation on Head Restraints (Docket No. NHTSA-2008-0016, Notice 1), March 5, 2008

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning improving the head restraint requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 202 (Docket No. NHTSA 2000-8570), March 5, 2001