Auto Body Repair Shop Dallas, Texas: Rear End Crash Protection

Do you feel safer in a larger vehicle? Many people think they have less chance of injury in a larger car if they are in an accident. Rear end crashes are very common. Head restraints for head and neck support are more important than the size of your vehicle. Studies have shown that many larger vehicles do not have the proper head restraint support needed. Passengers in some SUVs and other larger cars are at a greater risk of suffering a whiplash injury.

Though fatalities are rare in rear-end crashes, whiplash injuries are a major problem that cost insurance companies millions in claims each year. Pain and lack of flexibility can disable victims for years.

Rear Crash Protection

Airbags are only designed to work in front-end crashes, providing front, side and rollover protection. Researchers are looking for ways to improve seats and head restraints to protect people from injury in a rear end crash. They use mannequins in crash simulation labs to determine the possibility of injury based on geometric data.

Head restraints are required in the front seats of passenger vehicles; however, their shape and size continues to vary. There are currently no requirements for head restraints in the back seat.

Seats and head restraints are designed to provide the support needed in rear-end crashes. The force of a rear end crash pushes a passenger’s body forward while the head remains behind the torso. This causes the neck to stretch, resulting in whiplash injuries. The degree of injury depends on several factors, including the person’s weight, position on impact, the shape of the seat and the position of the head restraint.

Head restraints are crucial for keeping the head and body aligned as much as possible in the event of a rear-end crash. The most effective head restraints are height and angle adjustable and the seatback is designed to work well with the head restraint. It is important for passengers to adjust their head restraint properly and wear their seat belts.

The Problem with Back Seats

Back seat passengers have little or no protection from whiplash injuries. Some vehicles have built-in head restraints that cannot be adjusted; they’re just bumps on top of the seat back.

Some vehicles have adjustable head restraints that don’t lock into place so they can drop down when pressure is put on them. Some head restraints block the driver’s view out the rear window. One good idea that has been implemented in some cars is the head restraints that can be folded down when not in use.

Car manufacturers have a ways to go in creating and designing good seat back and head restraint systems for protection in rear-end crashes. Most cars rate poor to fair in this category, so it really doesn’t matter if you are in a large or small vehicle; without proper head and neck support, the risk of serious injury is the same.


This information is provided by Jack Barker, owner of Collision on Wheels, a mobile auto body repair shop that comes to you to perform minor collision repair, dent repair, scratch repair, auto paint work and more. Many repairs can be done in one day or less; the cost is considerably less than a typical auto body shop and you don’t have to be without your vehicle for days at a time. Jack Barker services the North Dallas Metro area: Dallas, Plano, Richardson, Allen, Frisco, Grand Prairie, Carrolton, Farmers Branch, Fort Worth, Garland and neighboring cities and communities in Dallas, Collin and Tarrant Counties.


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