New 'locking' headrest to prevent whiplash

Italian engineers are developing a new headrest design that can help people to avoid whiplash injuries if their car is shunted from behind by another vehicle. The headrest is designed to lock into place if the car is hit, preventing a person’s neck from slamming back on itself.

The research hopes to prevent the most serious of whiplash injuries, which can lead to long-term health problems and, in extreme cases, even death. The new headrest can be positioned at the optimum passenger head distance, but will lock tight if the vehicle is struck, giving neck support when it is needed most.

The project is a joint effort between a team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Milan Technical University and Renato Ravicino of Italian headrest manufacturer Gestind MB S.p.A in Bruzolo. They aim to solve the problem of headrests that are forced down by the impact of a head flinging backwards during impact by developing one that will not move. Massimiliano Gobbi, from Milan University, explains that “whiplash injuries constitute a growing health problem and economic burden in westernised and motorised nations. Without significant efforts in crash prevention and improvements in vehicle safety design, especially with more effective seat back and head restraint systems, the ever increasing traffic density will show a rise in this negative trend."

Whiplash can cause bone and soft tissue injuries, which are sometimes not treated effectively. The engineers have already developed full-scale tests and constructed a scaled test rig for research. In developing the new headrest, the team had to take into account comfort considerations as well as safety ones but intend to produce a solution that will satisfy both.

For more information on the project, contact Albert Ang at a.ang@inderscience.com

Published: Thursday, 10th December 2009 by Tom Freeman

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