Euro NCAP, the motoring industry's independent safety ratings provider, this week revealed only five out of 25 front seats of passenger cars received a good or 'green' rating when tested for whiplash protection.
The organisation stated that their results revealed 'that most manufacturers still have a long way to go in improving seat design that will protect consumers from whiplash injury' and that they were 'concerned by the surprisingly low number of seats receiving a good result' from cars newly available on the market.
The tests found eight seats of the same 25 cars were rated as poor or 'red', meaning that the seat occupant has a significantly higher risk of developing a long-term injury in the case of a low speed rear end collision.
The tests also revealed the price of the vehicle did not reflect the performance of the seat, as both cheap and expensive cars received both 'green' and 'red' results. For example, the pro-active head restraints such as those equipped in the BMW X3 and the Mercedes Benz M-Class 'did not fully live up to their claims', according to the organisation.
Euro NCAP assessed each vehicles 'dynamic performance' using a seat mounted on a sled test, subjected to low, moderate and higher test severities representing a range of crash forces causing injury. The organisation is integrating the new rear-impact test into a new crash- test-rating system, with the first results to be released in February 2009.
Dr Michiel Van Ratingen, Secretary-General of Euro NCAP said: "Euro NCAP's new test will certainly encourage manufacturers to think again about seat design."
The cars achieving a 'green' status were the Volvo XC60, Alfa Romeo Mito, Volkswagen Golf VI, Audi A4 and Opel Insignia, while those cars falling into the 'red' category were the Daihatsu Cuore, Citroen Berlingo, Hyundai i10, Citroen C5, Ford Kuga, Daihatsu Terios, Peugeot 308CC and the Suzuki Splash.
Source - Legal & Medical
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