Neck injuries AIS 1, often called whiplash injuries or whiplash associated disorders (WAD), is one of the most significant injury types in car crashes both with respect to frequency and degree of impairment.

Rear end impact sled tests were performed with the aim to develop evaluation criteria for neck injury protection, using a recently developed rear impact dummy (BioRlD I). The occupant situations simulated and compared were front seat occupant. rear seat occupant and front seat occupant with increased head to head restraint distance. Based on accident experience, occupants in rear seats and occupants with increased distance to head restraints are at a lower and higher risk, respectively, as compared to a front seat occupant in regular sitting posture.

The method used was to correlate the test data to the known outcome from real world rear end impacts. The evaluation measurements chosen for the testing were based on the three guidelines as presented in Volvo’s Whiplash Protection Study (WHIPS). The guidelines concern body acceleration, relative movements of the spine and rebound motion.

This study suggests several evaluation criteria to express the WHlPS-guidelines using the BioRlD I. The suggested evaluation criteria did verify the hypothesis of the relation between neck injury risk and different occupant position and posture.