USE OF PROPERLY POSITIONED HEAD RESTRAINT.

A common injury among motor vehicle occupants involved in collisions is whiplash. The whiplash injuries primarily result from abnormal loading placed on the cervical spine during automotive rear impacts. This type of injury is a common cause of chronic neck pain in industrialized countries. Properly positioned head restraints decrease the incidence of whiplash. Optimal head restraint must be located above the ears (vertical height) and touching the back of the head (horizontal gap). In this study it is found that use of optimal head restraint which is correctly positioned behind and close to the head is only 7.16%. It is clear that public education programs will be effective in increasing the proper use of the head restraint to decrease the whiplash injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]