Head restraints in cars

[fan-of-fans]

I've seen a lot of cars from the late 60s through the 90s had those thin bar shaped headrests on the front seats. Usually they had a flat metal bar that went down into the seat, or two metal rods.

My mom used to call those headrests neck breakers, and one time we were driving my grandma's 1992 Cougar and my mom pulled the headrests up so we wouldn't break our necks she said.

I don't really see how those old head rests helped in a crash because they were mounted so low and far back from the head. It doesn't seem like they pulled up enough to be at a proper height to prevent whiplash.

I noticed on my 2001 Malibu, it had larger headrests that were taller, but still pretty flat. They pulled up on the metal rods but there were no locking buttons, only notches to keep the headrests in place.

On the rear seats there were also headrests but they were just moulded into the seat itself and extended only about 2" above the seats.

On my current Taurus the headrests on the front seats are much thicker and lock into place. They also tilt and lock forward or back, which I really like because I can have it close to my head even if the seat is reclined.

The rear seat headrests are a bit annoying. It has two large headrests which are not adjustable and don't seem to be removable and really block the rear view. There is also a center headrest which is adjustable and slides down into a recess out of the way.

My friend's Volvo S40 had headrests I really liked. They were a concave shape, I believe Volvo calls it the WHIPs system.

 

[DADoES]

 
Headrests should be adjusted for height to contact the back of the head, not at the neck area.

 

[sfh074]

Headrests were mandated in .......

1969 as a standard safety feature.

Volvo was the first car to have them in 1968.

I remember riding around in my dad's '65 Mustang in one of these kiddie car seats. Somewhere round here, there is a picture of me in one of these! And no headrests in that model Mustang as well.

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[askolover]

My kiddie seat was similar to the one above...it just slipped over the seat backs.  No LATCH straps or anything. 

The headrests in my Beetle are worthless.  But the ones in my Jimmy and now my new Cadillac are pretty nice.  I always set them to barely touch the back of my head.

 

[ea56]

The 68’ Volkswagon Bugs had headrests as well as several other makes, because they were required on any new car sold in the USA after 1-1-69. I remember very well how much many people disliked them at first. The Volkswagon headrests were particularly obstructive to rearview vision, and not adjustable, just solid extensions of the seat back.

Eddie

 

[cfz2882]

early SAAB 99-ornate headrests

the original seats in my 1971 SAAB 99 had pretty ornate foam rubber coated steel frame headrests-after these seats were in bad condition,replaced with highback 1976 seats with intergral headrests.