Headrests and Car Seats
So, it seems I’m the only one who likes to write, lol. That’s OK. Guess I’ve just got a lot of hot air to share 
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There was a post on car-seat.org regarding headrests and car seats. It’s a frequent problem that headrests stick forward and interfere with the installation of some forward-facing car seats. These headrests are safe for people because they are closer to heads and reduce injury rates for whiplash and other neck injuries, but they push car seats forward making it so they don’t sit flush against the vehicle seat. A common practice has been to take the headrest out, flip it around backwards, and reinsert the headrest into position. Since the headrest is flat on the back, the car seat then sits flat against the vehicle seat. It also allows the headrest to stay in the vehicle so that if the car seat or booster needs to be removed for an adult passenger, that person has head support. Otherwise, best practice would be to just remove the headrest.
Sounds great, right? The perfect solution. Maybe not. Most headrests have notches on one side only to allow the headrest to be adjusted and to keep it in place during a crash. If the headrest is flipped around, the notches no longer line up and the headrest is held in place by friction only. Will it hold in a crash? Perhaps. In a rollover? Who knows? Should I be concerned about a headrest held so strongly by friction that it barely moves in a rollover when there are backpacks, groceries, baseball bats/gloves, and cell phones and assorted cell phone accessories flying around as well? I don’t know. I guess I pick my evils.
Let’s have a conversation about crash forces. The basic force formula is weight x speed = force. So, if the headrest weighs 1.5 lbs. and I’m in a 35 mph crash, which is a pretty average residential speed where I live, that headrest would hit me with a force of 52.5 lbs. That would hurt a bit, especially if the posts came at me first 
. What’s my point? Hit yourself with a 52 lb. weight and you’ll see what my point is. You’ll end up with a hole in your skull.
So, how should we counsel parents/caregivers now? Should we continue to tell them to flip the headrests backwards so that the car seats fit better? Should we tell them to take the headrests out altogether and possibly have the parents forget to put them back in the vehicle for an adult passenger? Many SUVs and vans simply don’t have storage space for headrests if they’re removed and let’s face it, not everyone is as concerned with headrest safety as those of us in our field are (just drive around and look at how many people are at risk for whiplash because their headrests are adjusted too low). It’s ultimately up to the parents and caregivers what they do with their headrests, but I think we need to look into this more since it is becoming a major installation problem.
Reader Comments
Great article!! Thanks!
That’s a great point, I never thought of the fact that the headrest would be free to pull out if backwards. Thankfully the one I needed to remove would not fit back in backwards at all, so it’s in my trunk. I would like to think I would remember to replace it if I ever have an adult passenger in that spot.
Great job
I was thinking about the new headrests which cannot be removed…. We advize parents to choose carseats with high top slots & tall shell/frame, but now we seem to be finding more incompatability with vehicles to accomodate high weight harness seats — this is irritating, of course, because we want to keep kids harnessed as long as possible. However, I guess the benefit is that at least the headrest won’t get lost so that an older/larger passenger can still be safe.
When oh when will vehicle + carseat manufacturers work together?!
ok, i am living this exact problem right now, but my car’s headrests are NOT removable at all. Are there any solutions..car seats/booster seats that will fit my car? My kids are not secure at all and it’s making me nervous! Thanks for any suggestions you may have.
A lot of the car manufacturers are now telling consumers to recline the seats slightly to clear the headrest. I did this technique with my saturn out look before I sent DH out to pull the dang things out. I just have specific seats in the car for adults, and others for carseats.
I have had two surgeries on my cervical spine (neck). I must sit absolutely upright. I am looking at new cars but not found any with a comfortable headrest. I currently have an old chevy with a straight, comfy headrest. Is it possible to have alternate headrests installed? Anyone no of a good website?
I am not familiar with any aftermarket head restraints. When buying a newer car, I would suggest any new model with active head restraints. These can now be found even on less expensive models. To help prevent whiplash injuries to the neck, these can move forward and upward in a crash. This is especially beneficial if you had not adjusted your seat back and head restraint correctly. This website is a good one for showing proper fit of the vehicle seat and head restraint, in order to prevent injuries to the head, neck and upper back. http://www.safety.ed.ac.uk/resources/General/Driving_posture.shtm
We test drove at least 10 different new cars in august of 2009 We had a head rest problem with 100% of them.
1. Some cars you can turn the head rest around and get what you need. Other cars when you turn it around it give but end up with zero support and makes the regulations of US to guard against whiplash nullified – worsened by such a modification. We believe that US regulations to minimize whiplash is the reason for the forward bend of all current US car headrests.
2. Bending the bars to the location you want might work however this may damage the bars/crack them or lessen integrity of the steal (break point during crash)
3. Foam support when you turn it around. This may work provided can secure the foam support. When we tried various foam supports we found it very difficult to get the correct amount
4. The best idea I found so far is to get head rest from a car built in 2007 and put them in my new 2009 car. This is what we are pursuing.
I am having a hard time believing a US government agency did this. What in the world are they thinking. They left out the statistics in the decision regarding the people that remove the head rest because it hurts.
My wife and I just drove a 2010 GMC Acadia and the head rest was tilted so far forward that my wife, that’s 5’8″ tall, couldn’t see to drive. Her head was pushed so far forward that her chin was in her chest. What are these design engineers thinking? How could this possibly be? What happened to the adjustable head rest that you used to be able to tilt forward or back to the driver’s comfort? Let me know if someone finds one that will fit a 2010 Acadia and we will buy one.
I have a 1949 Cheve two-door sedan that I have had since 1976.
I have wanted to put in a head rest to prevent whiplash
for a long time. Does anyone have any suggestions for:
1. An old style accessory headrest (where to find).
2. Welding in a Honda seat rest.
3. Putting in a completely different seat with headrests
already on the seat.
Do a you know of any bench seats for 2 door cars that
have seatbelts in the seat?
Thanks,
James
Comment for Ron on item #9. I have neck problems and did not like the forward feel of the front seat headrests. So, I took both of the front seat headrests off (have to push in the button on both posts simultaneously and lift on the headrest) and flipped them around 180 degrees (my Acadia does not have the DVDs in the headrest). At first it looked a bit odd, but after a couple weeks, it is not noticeable at all. Comfort aside, I’m sure there was some safety logic behind the forward slanted headrests (too much whiplash when rear ended or head movement when the airbag inflates) and I am no way conveying that anyone should tamper with factory set items.