LibGuides: Year 10 Physical Science: Vehicle Safety: Head Restraints

The science of head restraints/head rests

Car Safety Features: head Restraints: Physics
During a crash the car stops almost instantly, however the passenger will keep moving forward at a constant velocity until a force stops them. Newton’s first law, that an object at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will remain in motion, supports this.
Momentum and Its Conservation - Lesson 1 - The Impulse-Momentum Change Theorem Real-World Applications
Explanation of how padding reduces impact in a collision.

Head Restraints (head rests)

IIHS recently evaluated a new kind of active head restraint that uses rear-facing sensors to detect a collision before it occurs and adjust a driver's head restraint into position. This allows for increased comfort and can improve crash outcomes. Technology like this provides new opportunities for vehicles to adapt to their occupants.

Head restraints

Head restraints: Fact Sheet
Effective head restraints are designed to reduce the rearward motion of the head in a rear end crash and decrease the chances of occupants sustaining whiplash neck injuries. Head restraints are commonly referred to as head rests.
How To Properly Adjust Vehicle Head Restraint
People can experience severe crashes with no neck injury if there is little or no movement of the head relative to the torso.

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