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Severe restraint
I never imagined that my choice of new car would be decided by its front seat head restraints. My wife, who drives our one car as much as I do, has a back problem and is a little short in the leg. She needs to have the driver's seat back in an upright position.
This is fine in our trusty but ageing Toyota Corolla but not, it seems, in virtually any car built since about 2009. The problem appears to arise from the latest European and American safety legislation, which requires that the head restraint is no more than about two inches from the back of the head.
All manufacturers seem to meet this requirement by having the restraint tilting forward. This works if the seat back is reclined to some degree but not if the seat back is in the upright position. Over recent weeks we must have driven or sat in most of the superminis and small family hatchbacks on the market but none of them suit my wife.
This is fine in our trusty but ageing Toyota Corolla but not, it seems, in virtually any car built since about 2009. The problem appears to arise from the latest European and American safety legislation, which requires that the head restraint is no more than about two inches from the back of the head.
All manufacturers seem to meet this requirement by having the restraint tilting forward. This works if the seat back is reclined to some degree but not if the seat back is in the upright position. Over recent weeks we must have driven or sat in most of the superminis and small family hatchbacks on the market but none of them suit my wife.
Asked on 29 December 2012 by RW, Sherborne
Answered by
Honest John
A lot of people still insist on sitting bolt upright in cars despite the fact that this is very bad for them. Sitting bolt upright concentrates the entire weight of the torso on the base of the spine. Sitting semi-reclined allows the back to be supported along its length, greatly reducing the pressure on the base of the spine. This is not my opinion. It is fact.
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