How to protect yourself from a whiplash neck injury

Many modern cars have enough safety systems to help the driver feel comfortable while driving. Because of this, some people feel overly confident. For this reason, they do not attach importance to small details.

One of them is the headrest. Namely - its adjustment. If done incorrectly, it can cause serious spinal injury.

Car security systems

Active safety systems include ABS, ABD, ESP, etc. Passive airbags and head restraints are included. These elements prevent injury in a collision.

Even if the driver has a habit of driving the car carefully, it is often possible to meet inadequate road users, similar to kamikaze, whose main purpose is simply to race along the highway.

For the safety of conscientious motorists, passive safety exists. But even a minor collision can cause serious injury. A sharp push from behind is often the cause of what is known as whiplash. Such damage can be caused by seat construction and improper seat adjustment.

Features of whiplash

Injuries to the cervical spine occur when the head is abruptly moved backward. For example, when a car is hit from behind, and the head suddenly leans back. But the curvature of the spine is not always short.

According to doctors, the degree of injury is three. The easiest is the muscle strain, which goes away after a few days. In the second stage, minor internal bleeding (bruising) occurs and treatment takes several weeks. Worst of all - damage to the spinal cord due to displacement of the cervical vertebrae. This leads to long-term treatment.

Sometimes more complex trauma is accompanied by complete or partial paralysis. Also, there are frequent cases of concussion of varying severity.

What determines the severity of injuries

It is not only the force of the impact that affects the degree of damage. A significant role in this is played by the seat design and its adjustments, which are performed by the passengers. It is not possible to optimize all car seats to fit all people perfectly. For this reason, manufacturers equip seats with many different adjustments.

According to doctors, the main cause of whiplash injury is incorrect adjustment of the headrest. Most often, he is at a considerable distance from the head (the driver, for example, is afraid to fall asleep on the road, so he pushes him farther). Thus, when the head is thrown away, this part does not restrict its movement. To make matters worse, some drivers do not pay attention to the headrest height. Because of this, its upper part is in the middle of the neck, which leads to a fracture during the collision.

How to adjust the chair

It is important to capture kinetic energy when adjusting the seats. The chair should fix the human body, and not spring, throwing it forward and backward. Often it doesn't take long to adjust a headrest seat, but it can even save your life. Experts say that in recent years, many have become more serious about using seat belts, but not many are adjusting the backrest and headrest in the right way.

The correct position of the headrest is at head level. The distance to it should be minimal. The sitting posture is equally important. As far as possible, the back should be as flat as possible. The backrest then protects against injury with the same efficiency as the headrest. The harness must be adjusted so that it runs over the collarbone (but never near the neck).

Do not bring the chair as close to the steering wheel or away from it as possible. The ideal distance is when the wrist joint, with the arm extended, reaches the top of the handlebars. At the same time, the shoulders should lie against the back of the chair. The ideal distance to the pedals is when the foot is slightly bent with the clutch depressed. The seat itself should be at such a height that all indicators of the dashboard are clearly visible.

By following these simple recommendations, any motorist will protect himself and his passengers from injury, even if he is not to blame for the accident.

Questions and answers:

How do you know that you have broken your neck? Severe pain, stiff movements, neck muscle tension, swelling, sharp pain when touched with fingers, feeling as if the head is separated from the spine, breathing is impaired.

How long does a neck bruise take? A whiplash injury to the neck usually heals in three months, but in some cases the effects last much longer. It depends on the severity of the injury.

What to do if you hurt your neck? In no case should you try to return your head or neck to its place - you need to minimize movements, immediately call an ambulance.