Prevention is Possible:
How Head Restraints
Can Prevent Whiplash
Injuries
Funded by the
Who, what, when, why & how?
Researchers:
D. Romilly (Pr. Lead – UBC, Mech. Eng.)
M. White (UBC, Fam. Med. – CIRPD) E. Desirapriya (UBC Ped. BCIRPU)
P. Lawrence (UBC, Elec. & Com. Eng.) J.S. Blouin (UBC, Hum. Kinetics)
G. Siegmund (UBC, Hum. Kin. – MEA)
A. Snowdon (U Windsor – Business)
Sponsors:
6 UBC + 1 U Windsor
Researchers + Sponsors
AUTO 21 - Network of
Centres of Excellence
for Canada
R&D for Vehicle for 21st Century:
Health, Safety and Injury Prevention
Societal Issues & Future Automobile Materials and Manufacturing
Powertrains, Fuels and Emissions Design Processes
Intelligent Systems and Sensors 200 researchers at 45 universities with over 150 industry and
government partners The Woodbridge Group
Who, what, when, why & how?
AUTO 21 Project A402:
Prevention: Reducing
Occupant Injury in Rear
End Collisions
Started: April 2009
Ending: March 2011 - ?
(possible 1 yr renewal)
Prevention: Developing
Strategies for Improved Head Restraint Use
Development of an Automatic Head Restraint Positioning System – Future Vehicles
Development of Seat Whiplash Mitigation
Who, what, when, why & how?
Typical seat:
Head restraint:
(fixed or manually adjustable – limited movement)Seat back:
(static design for the average person)
Future seat:
Seat base:
(not designed as a safety component)Head restraint:
(actively adjusts to the occupant )Seat back:
(adaptive design adjusts to bothoccupant & impact)
Seat base:
(energy absorbing to reduce injury risk)
Current fleet (here now!) Future fleet (when?)
Who, what, when, why & how?
AUTO 21 Project A402:
Prevention: Developing
Strategies for Improved
Head Restraint Use
Goal:
Prevention is possible!
Increase proper HR use!
Methods:
1) Increase awareness
through intervention
programs
2) Increase number of
“good” vehicles in fleet
3) Assess HR use in BC
and effectiveness of
programs
“Whiplash Campaign”
Who, what, when, why & how?
Current Initiatives:
1) Focus groups:
Fleet Manager & OH&S
2) Advisory steering committee: Fleet Manger, OH&S,
Health Professionals
3) Web Portal & Resource dev.: www.whiplashprevention.org 4) Observational studies
(BC public & stakeholder sites)
5) Other dissemination efforts
(seminars, presentations, etc.)
“Whiplash Campaign”
Why? Consider the costs!
In Canada whiplash injuries account for
over 2 million insurance claims each year
In British Columbia alone, the economic costs
exceed C$ 600 million/year (ICBC)
Whiplash injuries account for more than 70%
of all bodily injury claims (Navan et al., 2000).
Cost is in terms of
lost work productivity
medical care
disability
sick leave
litigation
What is the problem?
Correct head restraint position (14%) Incorrect head restraint position (86%) Females 23% Males 7%Head restraint
position statistics
in Canada
Source: IBC (2002)What is the Problem?
Proper head restraint positioning
statistics across Canada
NS 12% BC 18% AB 16% ON 13% NB 7% PEI 8% NL 15%
When does whiplash occur?
For many vehicle
types currently on
our roads, this
injury can occur at
impact speeds as
low as 8 km/h
(i.e. about 5 mph)
Rear - end collision Side - impact collisionHow does whiplash occur?
1. Normal position 2. Spine straightensIs prevention possible?
Yes!
Serious injuries can
be prevented
Is prevention possible?
Studies have shown that
properly adjusted “good” rated
head restraints can reduce
How can whiplash be prevented?
Raise the head restraint (HR) so that the center
of the head restraint is slightly above the top of
the ear
The head restraint should be
2 - 8 centimeters from
the back of your head
When adjusted properly the head restraint can
How can whiplash be prevented?
Better position!
How can whiplash be prevented?
Resting your head isn’t the same as restraining it!
Strategies
Literature review & identification of credible web resources
Planning of a web portal www.whiplashprevention.org
Initial Focus group - Fleet Managers &
Occupational Health & Safety
Establishment of advisory steering committees
Develop and pilot test targeted surveys
Create meaningful educational resources
U Tube video clips for secondary/ post secondary
Create social media communication plan
What has been done to-date?
1.
Completion of literature review and book
- Head Restraints and Whiplash: The Past, Present and
Future
2.
Development of credible content
3.
Initial focus group & fleet managers survey
4.
Beta version of web portal:
www.whiplashprevention.org
5.BC Fleet Manager Presentation (June 18, 2010)
6.
International Cochrane Systematic Review (Protocol stage)
7.Establishment of Advisory Steering Committee (July 2010)
8.Road-side observational survey (on-going)
Future work
1.
Pilot-testing head restraint prevalence surveillance
system at organizations with large passenger car
fleets in BC
2.
To conduct intervention programs at different
organizations
3.
Completion of International Cochrane Systematic
The goal
Change in current practice
Buy or lease safer vehicles
Adjust head restraint properly for maximum protection
Implement and sustain educational programs and policies
to improve safety behaviour
Our goal
Refining web-based tool
Users select make, model, type, year
Head restraint rating
Overall safety rating
Green ratings
Cost
Selection of better alternatives
Best across all categories
Your inputs, ideas & participation in the
project activities are welcome!
Prevention is possible!
Take action today
to save lives
&
to reduce cost!
Advisory Steering Committee
Organizational Partners
Air Canada
BC Hydro
BC Automobile Association
Burnaby City Hall
Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability
Health Employers Association of BC
Insurance Corporation of BC
Massage Therapists Association of BC
MEA Forensics
New Car Dealers of BC
Physiotherapy Association of BC
Acknowledgements
AUTO21
Biomechanical Research & Testing, LLC
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
Thatcham
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC)
Insurance Bureau of Canada.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability
BC Injury Research & Prevention Unit
