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Headrests are a safety device and enhancement. If a headrest is
properly positioned behind your head, it can protect you from injury
during a collision. Some safety conscious car manufacturers have
headrests for both front and rear seats.
Headrests can also be safety hazards if they are positioned
improperly. A headrest that is adjusted too high can obscure the
driver's rear view. If a headrest is adjusted too low, during the
event of a collision, it can "chop" the driver or passengers in the
neck, rather than protect the head.
Rear-impact accidents occur frequently and are increasing with the
greater density of today's traffic. In rear end collisions, the car
is suddenly accelerated forward, with the result that the head of an
occupant is snapped backwards over the seat back. This can cause a
serious "whiplash" injury to the neck. To prevent such injuries, some
seats are fitted with head restraints. Many of these, however, are
not used as designed, because the user has to adjust his own head
restraint so that it is in the right position to protect them in a
collision. In the United States, for example, where nearly all head
restraints are adjustable, field surveys have shown that 80%% of the
head restraints are in the fully down position all the time. As a
result, head restraints are of hardly any benefit in an accident.
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