The most common type of injuries caused by traffic accidents are whiplash injuries. They can occur when the head is thrown violently forward and then backward. The most common cause of whiplash injuries is rear-end collisions, but a collision from the front or from the sides can also lead to whiplash injuries.

To reduce the risk of such injuries it is important to maintain distance to the vehicle ahead. It is also important that you and your passengers adjust both head restraints and backrests correctly:

• Adjust the head restraint so that the head cannot be thrown backwards (the upper edge of a head restraint should be at about the same height as the top of your head).
• Adjust the backrest to reduce the distance between the head and the head restraint.

If you realize that your car will be hit from behind, press your head against the head restraint and look straight ahead.

Read more about different types of accidents