Whiplash
The rear impact in a vehicle can generate cervical injuries to the passengers, even when it is at low speed or energy. These types of injuries are very common, especially in urban environments and are difficult to identify or treat. For this reason, improvements to the backrests and headrests were developed so that these injuries are minimized or mitigated in the best possible way.
The purpose of the backrest and headrest restrain systems is to maintain an adequate position of the neck and spine in case of an impact, avoiding flexion and other high-injury risk loads.
A good geometric and dynamic design of the backrest combined with a well-developed headrest can offer a good protection to the passengers.