The headrest that crowns each of the car seats is one of the passive safety elements that all cars are equipped with. Together with the seat belt and airbag, it forms a comprehensive system designed to minimize the risk and consequences of injury in the event of a collision. While the belt supports the occupant’s body, the airbag provides additional protection in the event of a frontal impact, and the headrest reduces neck movement, avoiding the dreaded whiplash effect that can lead to serious cervical injuries.
Although in its beginnings the headrest was conceived as an accessory intended to provide comfort and was only available in some car models, its evolution has been notable over the years. This change was particularly accentuated when scientific studies conclusively demonstrated its effectiveness in preventing cervical injuries during collisions.
The Regulation on the approval of vehicles in relation to seats, their anchors and head restraints defines this last element as a device whose purpose “is to limit the rearward movement of an adult occupant in relation to his torso in order to reduce the risk of injury in the cervical vertebrae in the event of an accident.”
Despite the evidence that supports the effectiveness of the headrest in the event of a collision, even today many passengers continue to perceive it as a simple comfort element, underestimating its fundamental role in road safety. For this reason, they do not take into account that they must adjust the headrest or they do it incorrectly before starting the journey.
The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) offers in its publications some very simple guidelines to correctly regulate this passive safety element, which we review below.
The name headrest can lead to confusion, since it is not designed to support the head, but to protect it in the event of a collision. This is the reason why the back of the head should not rest on this element, but should be placed at a distance of approximately 4 centimeters.
We must position the headrest so that the center of gravity of the head, that is, the height marked by the eyes, coincides with the resistant part of the accessory.
Adjusting the headrest to obtain the desired height is very easy. You just have to press the side clips to move it up or down. Once we have achieved the desired height, we simply release the clips and look for the final fit. When we hear the click that indicates that it is perfectly adjusted, we can be sure that the headrest is optimally positioned, offering efficient protection in the event of a collision.
To ensure proper headrest placement, seating position is also important. The inclination of this should not exceed 25 degrees to ensure the effectiveness of the headrest in the event of a collision. Additionally, when adjusting the height of the headrest, it is recommended to draw an imaginary straight line from the top of the head, so that the padded part of the headrest is aligned with the height of the eyes.
Failure to properly use or adjust the head restraint may increase the risk of neck injuries in the event of a collision. The whiplash effect, which is the sudden, jerky movement of the head forward and then back during a collision, is magnified when the head restraint is not properly aligned with the occupant’s head.
It can cause serious injuries to the head and neck, or even paralysis, since at the moment of suffering a collision or braking suddenly, all the energy obtained by deceleration is transferred to the back of the neck.
