In 1982 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that integral and adjustable head restraints were 17 and 10 percent effective, respectively, in reducing neck injuries (whiplash).  It was determined that head restraints were an effective safety device. 

Data from the NASS concluded that between 1988 and 1994, whiplash injuries resulted in a total annual cost of $4.5 billion dollars.  According to the IIHS, 1998 projections from State Farm Insurance indicated that whiplash injury claims alone would translate into more than $10 billion dollars annually. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted that a small improvement in the effectiveness of head restraints could yield large monetary savings.

Crash tests at the State Patrol Academy, Columbia, SC September 11, 1997 .

Add On Head Rest's first low speed, rear impact crash tests were performed using human volunteers at the Highway State Patrol Academy in Columbia, SC on September 11, 1997.  Instruction and equipment were provided by Texas A+M's accident reconstruction program and Biomechanical Testing and Research, LLC.  Comparison tests using the Add On Head Rest initially showed only a 10 percent improvement over factory head restraints.  Back to the drawing board.

The results marked "Factory" indicate the test without the Add On Head Rest. 
The results marked "AOHR" represent the test using the Add On Head Rest.
 

Factory   AOHR Bullet car's impact speed (mph) 8.1 7.8 Bullet car's Delta V (mph) 7.0 6.2 Target car's impact speed (mph) 0.0 0.0 Target car's Delta V (mph) 4.6 4.6	Factory           AOHR
High speed film, at 400 frames per second, captured the sequence on the right.  In comparison, a home video camera has a film speed of 60 frames per second.  The moment of impact was identified by a flash mounted on the driver's door triggered by a switch located on the bumper of the target vehicle.
There is a substantial reduction of the head rotation but more importantly, the relative motion between the head, neck and torso in the test using the Add On Head Rest is minimal.
Reports just released from Chalmers University in Sweden, identified that it is the speed at which the motion occurs which is mostly responsible for the severity and duration of injury.
The following data plot graphs show a remarkable 73 percent reduction of the angular head rotation acceleration and a 38 percent decrease of the resultant linear head acceleration.

Rusty Haight, Auburn, CA   Staff Instructor for Texas Engineering Extension Service, Texas A+M University.  An accident reconstruction specialist, Rusty is a crash test volunteer and has performed more than 320 crash tests.  Here are his comments comparing two similar crash tests, one with the factory head restraint and the other using the Add On Head Rest.

“In terms of going backwards, that's more benign than a lot of them that I've done.  You don't want to do this flexion/extension business as bad and this (the Add On Head Rest) did prevent me, it prevented me from going back further.  It's a good idea.  What I liked is that when I went back into the seat back there was less of a neck rotation, head rotation backwards, significantly less.” 

 

The Add On Head Rest provides support and makes driving more comfortable and safer.  It is effective in reducing the severity and duration of whiplash injury. So ...  Don't let driving be a pain in the neck!