54 current models - or two-thirds of all the vehicles in the test - fail to adequately protect occupants in rear-end collisions.
July 3 2007: 10:17 AM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Two-thirds of pickups, vans and sport-utility vehicles don't provide acceptable protection against whiplash in rear-end collisions, according to tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Some 54 models were rated "marginal" or "poor" by the Institute in tests that involved measurements of seats and head restraints and, in some cases, simulated rear-end collisions.

Vehicle seats and head restraints are first measured to determine if the headrest, because of its shape and angle, is likely to provide adequate protection.

Seats that are deemed likely to provide good protection are then tested in a simulated crash. The seat is attached to a moving platform that is struck from behind at 20 miles per hour. The Institute then measures impact forces on a crash test dummy riding in the seat.

Twenty-one current models - or 24 percent of those tested - earned the best possible rating of "Good." Twelve models earned an "Acceptable" rating, the second-best rating.

"In stop-and-go commuter traffic, you're more likely to get in a rear-end collision than any other crash type," says IIHS's David Zuby. "It's not a major feat of engineering to design seats and head restraints that afford good protection in these common crashes."

The agency stresses that to reduce neck injuries, the vehicle's head restraint should be high enough to be at the back of the head.

Rear-end collisions are frequent, and neck injuries account for 2 million insurance claims each year, costing at least $8.5 billion.

For SUVs, the best performers were models by Subaru, Volvo, Acura, Ford, Honda and Hyundai.

Some manufacturers objected to the fact that the seats are not tested while mounted in the vehicle.

"We are confident our whiplash injury lessening system and vehicle design will provide a reasonable level of safety for our customers in the real world," Toyota said in a statement.

While Toyota's Tundra pickup earned the top "Good" rating for whiplash protection in the IIHS tests the Toyota Sienna minivan and Toyota Highlander, when equipped with a tilting headrest and adjustable lumbar support, and 4Runner SUVs earned "Poor" ratings. The Toyota Rav4 and FJ Cruiser SUVs and Tacoma pickup all earned a rating of "Marginal."

Overall, SUVs have the most vehicles with "Good" protection - 29 percent - while vans followed with 27 percent and only 6 percent of pickups earned a "Good" rating.

"The reason may be that automakers have updated or introduced many new SUVs since 2006, but minivans and pickups are being updated more slowly," said Zuby.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/02/auto...ion=2007070305

 

i suppose you can try minimizing neck injury by making sure your
head is in contact with your headrest at all times while stopped
in traffic. i always do that just in case...especially when my
next lane is going 40mph+ and im sitting there like a duck hoping
noone crashes from behind.

 

I've always wondered why a tilt option isn't available for all headrests. A forward tilt would sure benefit me.

 

See http://www.iihs.org/ratings/head_res...ints.aspx?mini
for the MINI

Gen 1 cars did no better. I guess I am in good company as the Rav4 rated the same as a MINI
R56 was acceptable (getting better)

 

Well, in the event the Mini doesn't evade the accident (since they not only have superior visibility, they manuever better and keep the driver in touch with things and awake while driving), at least it won't roll over