Seat testing

“Adding a rating for whiplash protection further helps motorists to select the safest vehicles”

Protection against whiplash injuries for drivers and passengers is set to become an integral part of the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) in 2007. The measure is expected to see the introduction of an additional sixth star for occupant protection – the current maximum is five – although final details have still to be clarified.

A Euro NCAP spokeswoman told RoadSafe: “There may be a sixth star introduced for occupant safety in relation to whiplash testing. “It is dependent on the number of points that are awarded to whiplash, which is still in the process of being decided.” Currently, a maximum of 37 points can be achieved by cars in the adult occupant rating, which is equivalent to a maximum five-star. The spokeswoman added: “If whiplash was accorded a number of points higher than three, this could mean the number of awardable stars possible in this rating would be six.”

The Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre (MIRRC) at Thatcham is one of the world’s leading authorities on whiplash and as a member of the International Insurance Whiplash Prevention Group undertakes significant vehicle seat and headrest testing. The MIRRC is also a Euro NCAP member and, if whiplash protection does indeed become part of the crash test ratings system, data from Thatcham will be used as the basis for awarding points under the star-based scheme.

A Thatcham spokesman says: “If it is decided to introduce a sixth star then vehicle manufacturers will have to achieve the other five stars first to potentially qualify for the additional star. “The star rating system continues to become a very powerful marketing tool because it is one that consumers can look at and easily understand. Adding a rating for whiplash protection further helps motorists to select the safest vehicles.”

In November, the MIRRC will publish its third annual report into new seat and head restraint designs. The organisation says that the first two reports, published in 2004 and 2005 respectively, have resulted in motor manufacturers starting to “use their heads to save our necks” as the number of debilitating whiplash injuries starts to reduce.

Whiplash is particularly suffered in rear-end shunts at junctions when vehicles are travelling at low speed. However, more than 250,000 people suffer whiplash injuries in Britain annually, with 1% of victims receiving permanent injuries from crashes at speeds as low as 10mph. Thatcham says its two reports to-date have resulted in seat and headrest design improvements following a concerted international insurer campaign from car safety specialists to curb the injury toll inflicted by common low-speed rear-end shunts.

The Thatcham spokesman singled out Volkswagen as a manufacturer that had significantly improved whiplash protection with the introduction of the mk5 Golf. He says: “The mk4 Golf had quite a poor whiplash rating. However, by making the ratings public it encourages the manufacturers to make improvements. When we tested the new Golf, now on sale, we found the seat and headrest design much improved.”

Good and bad head restraints

“More than 250,000 people suffer whiplash injuries in Britain annually”

Following the last round of whiplash testing, Mercedes-Benz was highlighted for special praise by MIRRC as many of its seats earned “good” ratings through the use of new pro-active head restraint technology. The luxury marque failed to perform well in the first round of testing, but now most of the vehicles have adopted the company’s revolutionary Neck-Pro system to help protect occupants from whiplash. Dr Rodolfo Schoneburg, head of passive safety at parent company DaimlerChrysler, says: “DaimlerChrysler takes the issue of whiplash very seriously and we have been working with the international groups on improving our vehicle seats further. Mercedes-Benz is proud that the Neck-Pro systems attains a ‘good’ rating and it shows our commitment to the reduction of whiplash injuries.”

However, it is not just premium-badge brands that performed well: the budget-priced Hyundai Getz also achieved a “good” rating when fitted with the optional active head restraint. Jim Campbell, marketing director of Hyundai UK, says he hoped the active head restraint would be available on models in the UK in the future. Other vehicles that performed well in the tests included all Volvos and Saabs and most Renaults, while most of Volkswagen’s seats achieved an “acceptable”rating. Reactive head restraints and energy-absorbing seats show up to a 50% reduction in reported real-world injuries. The latest MIRRC ratings showed that manufacturers had achieved a 6% improvement in “good” rated seats, which means that almost one in four cars offered the bestrated protection in low-speed crashes.

The MIRRC spokesman adds: “It is vital that this trend continues and Thatcham will continue to work closely with vehicle manufacturers in pursuit of safer seats.”

For more information, visit: Website: www.euroncap.com Whiplash test ratings are available at: Website: www.thatcham.org