What happens to an occupant when their vehicle is

What happens to an occupant when their vehicle is struck from the rear? While whiplash injuries are common in all types of crashes, motorists involved in rear-end crashes are more likely to experience whiplash. When a vehicle is struck from the rear it is accelerated forward, causing the seatback to push against the occupant's torso and propel it forward. The head lags behind the torso until the neck reaches its limit of distortion, then the head is suddenly accelerated by the neck much like the tip of a whip, hence the term whiplash. Head restraints limit the neck distortion that occurs before the head starts to follow the torso.