• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.179-183
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• 2006

Whiplash injuries of the neck are one of the most common injuries reported from automotive rear impacts. Whiplash injuries can be reduced by changing geometry of head restraint. Therefore, geometries of head restraint were evaluated according to the test procedures of the Korea New Car Assessment Program(KNCAP) to improve safety of head restraint. In this study, nine vehicle's head restraints were tested. As the test results, one head restraints is rated at "Marginal", three head restraints are rated at "Acceptable" level, and the last five head restraints are rated at "Good" level.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.29-34
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• 2005

141,841 car-to-car collision had occurred in 2003, and among the accidents 51,796 were rear-end impact. According to insurance company for loss or damage, more than $60\%$ of rear-end impact victims suffer neck injury. This means at least 31,000 neck injury victims have happened in 2003. More than $97\%$ of the neck injury victims have low severity injury than A.I.S 2. Head restraint, which is designed to limit rearward head movement and equipped on seat, can considerably protect neck from rear-end impact. In this paper we evaluated head restraint geometry and drivers' sitting position according to RCAR standard and carried out low speed volunteer crash test. The crash speed is 4km/h and N.I.C value is used to determine injury probability. Through these research results we can introduce the method to prevent neck injury at rear-end impact.