Why does my vehicle have a headrest?

Why does my vehicle have a headrest?

What many motorists refer to as a headrest is actually a head restraint. It is a common misconception that a restraint is a comfort feature and this simply is not true. Head restraints are installed in vehicles for safety purposes and are an essential safety feature like lap/shoulder belts. Effective head restraints reduce the rearward motion of an occupant's head in a rear-end crash and decrease the likelihood of sustaining a whiplash injury. A recent 2002 Public Attitude Monitor asked participants what the main purpose of a head restraint was and 67 percent correctly identified safety while 13 percent said comfort and another 15 percent didn't know.⁹

9) Insurance Research Council. 2002. Public Attitude Monitor 2002.

Barton Chiropractic, we know whiplash!