Research has found that two out of three drivers haven’t got a clue how to correctly position their seating head restraints, and that two out of three drivers never or rarely check their restraints.
Amazingly, 66% of respondents in the UK incorrectly thought the top of a head restraint should be level with their neck or ears. The remaining one in three drivers correctly say the top of a head restraint should be level with the top of your head to give your head protection and to stop your neck ‘hyper-extending’ backwards in a crash, potentially breaking it or giving severe injuries.
While two out of three respondents said they never or rarely check their head restraints, only one in seven drivers claimed to always check.

When comparing those drivers who knew how to correctly position their head restraints with those who said they regularly checked, the researchers found that only one in 17 drivers (6%) knew the correct position and bothered to regularly check it. This is exactly the same percentage the same research five years ago in 2004, indicating that awareness has not improved in the meantime.
The researchers commented: “Even if drivers did regularly check their head restraint, the research shows that most drivers don’t know whether it was correct or not, which explains why they don’t bother. There needs to be an awareness campaign on this simple measure we can all take. Incorrect head restraints can result in death, permanent disability, and in the minor cases excruciating back and neck pain. Yet it only takes a couple of seconds to check and adjust your restraint and those of other occupants in your vehicle.
“Whenever getting in a car, whether as the driver or a passenger, you should adjust your head restraint correctly to mitigate any potential injury. It simply isn't worth the risk of not checking, 10 seconds to adjust it could prevent restrictions on what you can physically do for the rest of your life."
In a recent case study, a woman suffered whiplash injuries following a car crash. Doctors later diagnosed her injuries as having developed into vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) – a condition that caused Michelle to have two heart attacks and seven paralyses, which have similar effects to those of a stroke. The woman involved commented: “A short loss of concentration from the driver behind caused complicated whiplash and led to neck pain and spasms. From being an independent, active person, I becama disabled and I’m being cared for by my two young children and husband. If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a car crash, don’t suffer more than you have to – adjust your head restraint to the correct height.”

TOP TIPS ON ADJUSTING YOUR HEAD RESTRAINT
1. If you don’t have a head restraint or an inadequate one that doesn’t reach the top of your head, you may want to change your car because your neck isn’t protected.
2. Adjust your seat so it is upright, not in a reclined position, allowing the head restraint to be as close to the back of your head as possible, ideally touching it. This might mean also moving your seat backwards, away from the steering wheel.
3. Adjust your head restraint so its top is level with the top of your head.
Ensure the head restraint is securely fastened and won’t fall down.
4. If your head restraint is broken, get it fixed.
5. Ensure everybody in the car has their head restraint appropriately positioned. Check all children have a restraint behind their heads that is either part of their child seat or on the car seat.

THE DANGERS OF WHIPLASH
Head restraints should be positioned so the top is level with the top of a person’s head and as close to the head as possible, ideally touching it. If there is no head restraint, or it is positioned incorrectly, the person is much more likely to suffer whiplash in a crash.
More than 432,000 people make an insurance claim for whiplash every year in the UK.
Whiplash can cause neck and back pain, nausea, permanent disability and death.
Research centre crash-testers analyse a car’s ability to protect occupants from whiplash injuries. In 2008, it rated 35% of new models as having ‘good’ protection, 25% as ‘acceptable’, 24% as ‘marginal’ and 16% as ‘poor’.
‘Active’ head restraints, triggered by sensors in a crash, move towards the head, providing extra support and ensuring the head cannot move backwards. US research shows active head restraints reduce serious neck injury by up to 75%.

SURVEY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS IN FULL
How frequently do you check, before driving off, that your head restraint and those of any passengers are properly adjusted for safety?
14% said they always check
12% said they check most times
5% said they check about half the time
27% said they rarely check
36% said they never check
3% said they did not have a head restraint
3% did not answer

What is the correct height for a head restraint?
34% thought a head restraint should be level with the top of their head
19% thought a head restraint should be level with the top of their ears
7% thought a head restraint should be level with their neck
35% said they did not know
5% did not answer