As a long-standing member of APIL (Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) we are supporting Injury Prevention Day 2018 on Wednesday 15th August. The 3rd Wednesday of August every year is marked by APIL to help educate everyone about how to avoid injury. A key objective of the association is to prevent needless harm and all APIL members are encouraged to take part in the campaign.
In previous years, they have campaigned for drivers not to tailgate and highlighted safe practices for walkers. This year it’s calling for drivers and passengers to check their headrests are adjusted correctly to protect themselves against whiplash.
APIL president, Brett Dixon, has said, “Your headrest can’t do its job if you haven’t adjusted it to fit you. It’s like leaving the batteries out of a smoke detector.”
Did you know that women in the 20 to 50 age group are at the greatest risk of whiplash? The factors influencing this include seating posture and neck strength.
In order to offer sufficient protection, a head restraint should be adjusted to be as high as the top of the head and as close to the back of the head as comfortably possible, preferably touching the head. Remember to adjust your head restraint correctly, whether you are the driver or a passenger in the front or back of the car.
Motoring safety experts, Thatcham Research, show how to correctly and effectively position your headrest at www.thatcham.org.
