Is it safe to head restraints and support devices when traveling in a motor vehicle?
If you use a headband or head-restraint system that goes around the front of your head to prevent forward motion, there is a concern about neck injury in a frontal crash if your torso moves forward while your head is restrained. Also, frontal impact tests with child crash dummies show that neck collars used to provide head support can cause increased loading at the upper neck if the collar is too stiff. This does not mean that head restraints and neck collars should never be used in transit. For some wheelchair users, head control may be more important for preventing injury than the concern for neck injury in a crash situation. However, it does mean that the head-restraint system should be designed to break away at relatively low levels of force to reduce the possibility of neck injury in a crash situation. In addition, soft neck collars should be used to minimize the increase in upper-neck loading that could injure the upper cervical spine.