Automakers Turn Their Attention To Whiplash Prevention

Posted on June 21, 2013

A new report delves into the steps that certain automakers are taking to ensure consumers are protected from the threat of whiplash in the event of a crash.  It’s interesting to see how the approach to this topic has changed even in just the past decade.

In 2002, insurance organizations began to test protection against whiplash and discovered that otherwise safety-oriented companies were often lacking in this area.  Four years after the fact, five out of six vehicles were said to offer poor protection.

But in 2008, Euro NCAP began taking this into account when rewarding points, leading to nine out of ten vehicles having adequate whiplash protection in the modern day.  An interview with a representative from a research organization called Thatcham explains that safety can be improved even more as vehicles adopt Autonomous Emergency Brakes, which bring the car to a halt when the need to do so is detected.

That same individual also explains that protection is not as good in the backseat as it tends to be in the front.  In fact, the exact opposite of what was just reported above is the case, with nine out of ten vehicles not offering adequate defense against whiplash to backseat occupants.

As this issue comes to the forefront, let us hope that automakers begin to develop the type of technology that can dramatically reduce the risk of a severe head or neck injury.

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