As Injury Prevention Day takes place tomorrow (August 15), law firm Trethowans is urging drivers to do a simple test next time they get in their car.
The company is backing the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers’ (APIL) call for car drivers to protect themselves by making sure their headrests are in the correct position.
Half of all car crashes in England result in a whiplash injury, according to the National Travel Survey 2017. James Braund, senior associate in the personal injury team at Trethowans, says that many of these cases could be avoided if people’s headrests were fitted correctly.
He said: “Sometimes accidents and injuries are unpreventable and occasionally almost inevitable. However, all too often, we all still see injuries occur which could have easily been prevented.
“Whiplash in a car accident is a classic example and we’re backing the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers’ campaign to get people to check their headrests are positioned correctly.”
Brett Dixon, APIL’s president, adds: “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.
“To test your headrest is very simple,” Brett explained. “Make sure it is as close to the back of your head as possible, ideally touching. The top of the headrest should also be as high as the top of your head. Place your hand on top of your head to check.
“It is easy to forget, but we hope drivers will make a point of doing the headrest test this Injury Prevention Day.”
The reminder has been backed by motoring safety experts, Thatcham Research. Its director of research Matthew Avery says: “It’s also really important to remember that whiplash can occur in the back seat as well. So remember to adjust for each rear occupant as well. And to check this for every journey. No one passenger is the same and it needs to be tailored to fit them on every journey.”
Trethowans is a member of APIL, a not-for-profit organisation which campaigns to prevent needless injuries.
To find out more about the law firm, which has offices in Southampton, Salisbury, Poole, Bournemouth, Winchester and a base in London, visit www.trethowans.com