Seat Back & Headrest Design: Low to Moderate Speed Rear Impacts

Introduction/epidemiology

Noted here is twenty-three percent of automobile accidents are rear end collisions. As the vehicle industry has evolved, the safety of the car to prevent and minimize injuries in the event of a crash has become increasingly important (Chen, Chen, & Wang, 2014). Rear impact collisions account for twenty-nine percent of all injuries due to car accidents (Kistipadu, 2014). Specifically, injuries to the spine, neck, face, brain (resulting in traumatic brain injury), and knees are the most affected due to movement of the head and torso when the collision happens.

Significance of rear-impact crashes

In the United States alone, nearly half of car accidents per year are rear-end collisions. A rear impact crash, otherwise known as “whiplash accidents,” at low to moderate speed may cause significant damage to the person’s abdomen when the seat cushion is lacking stiffness causing the body to dive forward (Viano, 2008). Additionally, rear impacts causes the primary stress within the seat backrest and cushion joints, therefore, emphasis on vehicle safety is placed on the seat backrest and headrest (Chen, Chen, & Wang, 2014).

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