Volvo top-scores in new whiplash protection test
Words: AutoTrader NZ
The XC60 also got the highest rating – five stars – in Euro NCAP’s Adult Occupant Protection tests, which include front and side impacts.
The whiplash protection evaluation includes several tests which grade the car red, orange or green; red is poor, orange is marginal and green is good.
The XC is fitted with Volvo’s Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) which is designed to prevent neck injuries if a car is hit from behind. Volvo safety expert, Thomas Broberg, says very rapid movement between the head and body in a rear-end collision causes neck damage.
“This makes it vital for the whiplash protection system to support the entire back and head and to help the person’s head move together with the torso. The design of the seat’s backrest and a head restraint that is sufficiently high and positioned close to the head are also important factors.”
Volvo’s WHIPS system supports the seat occupant’s entire back and head in a rear-end collision. It cushions the movement through energy-absorbing deformation elements between the backrest and seat cushion. In a rear-end collision, the backrest reduces the forces on the neck and spine by following the occupant’s rearward movement.
