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| Health News |
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| This section of the website provides information about Dr. D’Antoni’s speaking engagements and other related news. If you are interested in having Dr. D’Antoni speak about any health-related topic, send him a message through the “Contact” page of this website or call the office at 718-605-0200. |
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2007 Speaking Engagements
March 3, 2007: AutoLab Radio Interview on WMCA channel 570 (AM dial). “Protect Your Neck: The Value of Head Restraints in Automobiles.
Abstract:
In this interview, I discuss the epidemiology of whiplash injuries from a public health viewpoint. I also discuss how head restraints—often erroneously referred to as head rests—can help reduce the risk of neck injury during a rear-impact crash (RIC). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has been rating head restraints in both US and foreign automobiles since 1995. The Institute’s rating system (good, acceptable, marginal, or poor) is based on two factors: geometry and dynamic testing. Restraint geometry refers to the design of the head restraint. A well designed head restraint is one that is close to the ceiling of the vehicle, and in addition, is close to the back of the driver’s head. If you have an adjustable head restraint in your vehicle, make sure that you position it as high as possible. In other words, click it all the way to the top. This interview was archived, and can be listened to on the Internet. Go to http://www.theautochannel.com/cybercast/theautolab/ and click “Show archives.” Go to the March 3, 2007 archive and listen to the segment—the interview begins at 55:20 and ends at 01:05:10.
Figure. Relationship of a driver to the head restraint. Topset is the distance from the top of the driver’s head to the top (uppermost surface) of the head restraint. Ideally, the top of the head restraint should be as high or higher than the top of the driver’s head. Backset, the distance between the back of the driver’s head and the front surface of the head restraint, should not be more than 2”. Research has shown that greater than 2” significantly decreases the ability of the head restraint to protect against neck injury during a rear-impact crash. If the head restraint is positioned too low, then this may increase the risk of injury because the restraint will act as a fulcrum as the head goes up and over the restraint during a rear-impact crash. Make sure your head restraints are positioned as high as possible on both the driver and passenger seats.
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