Neck brace used by racing car drivers could become standard in cars to help whiplash

A head restraint used by racing car drivers could become standard in all cars to protect children in the back seat and prevent whiplash injuries.

Used by Formula One and V8 Supercar drivers, the new head restraint currently being used by Renault is designed for children aged six to ten years old. These children are too big for enclosed seats but not big enough for an adult head restraint.

The head restraint flips open and has two supporting arms which sit on other side of the child's head and holds their head and body upright in case they fall asleep. The idea is to stop children slipping out of their seatbelt if they get sleepy.

The neck supports (made in the USA) are required in V8 Supercar racing and racing drivers vouch for their safety features. By providing additional support to the head and neck, the head restraint reduces impact in a front or rear end impact and cushions the head in a side impact.

As a child is not a scale model of an adult as the head is much larger at birth and grows more slowly, a child's head puts extra strain on the neck during impact equivalent to an F1 driver wearing a helmet. A head restraint can therefore be critical in avoiding a neck injury such as whiplash or even a head injury.

Around 30 % of passengers in European road traffic accidents in the back seat are children under 10 years old. In popular family cars like the Renault Espace this rate is much higher.

One of the reasons why personal injuries affecting children are higher is that they don't fit into current restraint systems as well as an adult, which is why there are various types of child seats and booster cushions.

A 60 pound unbelted child in the back seat of a car travelling at 30 miles an hour involved in a sudden collision can weigh as much as a young elephant - about 2700 pounds. Numerous lives are saved every year through the use of seatbelts and proper head restraints. Called "Sleep Safe", the head restraint should appear in European cars in 2006.

Whiplash compensation claim
A car accident can cause whiplash and have serious consequences. If your child has been injured during a road traffic accident, you may feel particularly upset and want to make a compensation claim.

Following a road traffic accident, you can make a personal injury claim for damages towards the pain and suffering you have experienced and any out of pocket expenses. This can go some way to addressing the physical and emotional problems arising from a whiplash injury.

We can give you free legal advice and let you know whether you are eligible to make a compensation claim. You won't have to pay us any money as our no win no fee policy means we receive our costs from the other party and you get to keep any whiplash damages awarded to you.

Call us on 0808 143 42 42 to find out more, submit a call back request or fill in the online form.