You and your family are about to buy a new car, but you have children and you are worried about the safety of the car. What do you do? First your probably wondering why a chiropractor has anything to say on the matter. Just to clear that up, here at the Midvalley Chiropractic Clinic we deal with whiplash injuries everyday and almost all of those injuries come from car accidents. Because we are dedicated to over all wellness we have a few suggestions on how to buy a car that will protect you in case of an accident.
Our friends at Midas say that, “Some [cars] are engineered to protect occupants in the event of a collision; others are geared to preventing collisions entirely.” Recent automobile testing showed that “better head restraint design can certainly reduce the risk of a neck injuries occurring in car crashes. Passengers can also be proactive in adjusting the head restraint to suit their seating position. The 2009 results revealed seven out of ten new cars scored a rating of ‘good’ or ‘acceptable’, compared to just three out of ten five years ago, when testing began.”(Read more)
The testing is based on the height of the head restraint, its distance from the passenger’s head, and the effectiveness of the surrounding cushion. The support of the head restraint is vital in the event of an accident because it supports the head as its being thrown around because of impact and can minimize injuries. So, as you being the search for a new car be sure to take a good look at the test ratings of the head restraints.