Whiplash injuries are among the most common of all traffic injuries, and Volvo Cars was one of the earliest manufacturers to introduce proper protection aimed at reducing its risk.
Volvo's highly effective system, WHIPS, which halves the risk of long-term after-effects, is now celebrating 10 years in operation.
"The Volvo S80 was the first car with WHIPS," says Lotta Jakobsson, safety expert and one of the people behind the development of WHIPS at Volvo Cars. That was back in 1998 and by 2000 WHIPS was fitted as standard in all Volvo's front seats.
"The system has undergone continuous refinement and development over the years and this year we are actually celebrating its 10th birthday," says Jakobsson.
In an impact from the rear, immense force may be exerted on the vulnerable neck. The body is pushed forward and if the head does not accelerate together with the body, the neck can be over-stretched. Among the symptoms are pain from the neck area, headache, and stiffness in the neck muscles. These symptoms usually disappear after a few weeks but in some cases they may last a long time.
"Proper whiplash protection should reduce the head's movement in relation to the upper body. The relative movement between different body parts should be as little as possible. Our unique WHIPS protection system has therefore been designed to distribute the incoming forces along the entire back and head and to dampen the path of the force by moving with the body," explains Jakobsson.
"The backrest accompanies the body's movement backward and tilts somewhat to the rear relative to the seat cushion. This reduces the force being exerted on the back and neck. What is more, Volvo's whiplash protection is positioned close to the head and high up, giving the head excellent support.
"WHIPS has shown to be a very effective form of protection in rear-end collisions. Our own surveys show that the risk of sustaining long-term pain as a consequence of a rear-end impact is halved. Several external studies reveal similar results."
