CAR HEAD RESTRAINTS

This short letter describes the results of a survey undertaken to see if motorists were making full use of their head restraints. 150 male drivers were asked to answer a short questionnaire after leaving a 'do it yourself' store. Each driver was then asked to lean back in his seat, and the position of the headrest was assessed. If the top of the head restraint was above eye level it was considered to be correctly positioned. The results showed that although 136 drivers knew that head restraints were a safety feature, only 36 could identify the correct position. In only 50 cases was the head restraint found to be correctly adjusted. A further 54 could be adjusted to a satisfactory height and 46 remained too low even when fully extended. Although this study population cannot be regarded as typical of car drivers and passengers generally, the results suggest that a substantial proportion of car head restraints are too low. Inexpensive measures to educate the motoring public through car handbooks, at services and at Department of Transport Tests are advocated. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00071447
• Corporate Authors:

  British Medical Association

  BMA House, Tavistock Square
  London WC1H 9JR,   United Kingdom 
• Authors:
  • Braddick, M R
  • Love, G
• Publication Date: 1990-9-1

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 440
• Serial:
  • BMJ
  • Volume: 301
  • Issue Number: 6749
  • Publisher: British Medical Association
  • ISSN: 0959-8138
  • Serial URL: http://www.bmj.com/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Deployable head restraints; Drivers; Headrests; Utilization
• ITRD Terms: 2040: Cervical vertebrae; 1399: Head restraint; 6489: Height; 2163: Injury; 9149: Prevention
• Subject Areas: Highways; Research; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00609589
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 30 1991 12:00AM