Nissan Motor Co. has developed a headrest that will reduce whiplash injuries in rear-end collisions by at least 30 percent, the company announced Monday.
The firm will adopt the restraint as standard equipment on the new Cima, which is slated to go through minor changes later this week. The new system will gradually be adopted in other models as they undergo full or minor changes in the future, the firm said.
Japan Automobile Research Institute, Inc. and the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Tsukuba University's Institute of Clinical Medicine conducted joint research in whiplash injuries. It was found that impact causes the head alone to move and bend backward abruptly, placing a load on the neck.
By using the backward-moving force that occurs during a read-end collision, the system activates a lever in the seat to move the head restraint forward and upward, providing support for the head.
Saab Automobile AB, a part of General Motors Corp., developed a similar system last year, using knowhow of Delphi Automotive Systems, a major U.S. auto parts company affiliated with GM.