Headrest

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2009)

The headrest on the passenger seat of a Lincoln Town Car.

In an automobile, the headrest or head restraint is a device attached to the top of the seat behind the occupant's head^[1].

The auto headrest was invented and designed by a man in Arcadia, California, G. J. Schifano, in the mid 1950s, when his doctor was telling him about the alarmingly increased numbers of whiplash patients he was seeing. Headrests started to appear as an option on American cars in the late 1960s. Headrests were required by NHTSA in all cars sold in the US, effective January 1, 1969.

Today, most headrests are cushioned for comfort, are height adjustable and most commonly finished in the same material as the rest of the seat, as seen in the picture to the right.

Headrests are provided for comfort and safety. They are designed to prevent the backlash movement of the occupant’s head should a collision occur. This, in turn, can prevent potentially, fatal whiplash neck injuries.

When travelling in an automobile, a properly adjusted headrest can reduce the severity of the neck injury. The top of the headrest should be in line with the top of the occupant's head. The headrest should not, however, be placed behind the occupant's neck. Maintaining an adequate separation from the vehicle in front while driving and pressing your back against the seat while facing forward if a collision appears imminent might also be advisable^[2]. This helps prevent the neck being forced backwards, and decreases the risk of whiplash.

Ancient world

Egyptian Headrest

Bed and Headrest of Hetepheres

In parts of the ancient Near East such as Egypt, the local population invented wooden headrests instead of pillows to sleep on due to the warmth of the weather. The funerary burial goods of Queen Hetepheres, the mother of Khufu, for example, features a bed and a headrest.

References

1. ^ "Headrest terminology, Edmunds.com". http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/safety/articles/105554/article.html. Retrieved 2006-11-28. 
2. ^ Bilars skydd mot pisksnärtskada (Protection against whiplash injury in cars) PDF, Swedish National Road Administration and Folksam, August 22, 2006 (Swedish)