English, 10 pages, 0 figures, 22 references

The objective was to study the influence of various types of car seats aimed at protecting whiplash injuries on real-life injury outcome. Furthermore, the objective was to study correlation between whiplash consumer crash tests and real-life injury outcome. In the study the influence on whiplash symptoms lasting longer than one month and those leading to permanent medical impairment was studied.
The cars were divided into groups according to the safety technology used as well as according to consumer crash test performance. Various whiplash technologies have been introduced since 1997 and since 2003 consumer crash test programmes have been running. The correlation on group level between whiplash injury outcome in real-life crashes and the test results of consumer crash tests both in Sweden by Folksam/SRA (Swedish Road Administration) and by IIWPG (International Whiplash Prevention Group) was studied.
It was found that cars fitted with advanced whiplash protection systems had approximately 30% lower risk of whiplash injuries leading to symptoms lasting longer than one month and 50% lower risk of permanent medical impairment (more than 1%) compared with standard seats launched after 1997. The anti-whiplash systems in Saab, Volvo and Toyota (SAHR, WhiPS and WIL) had lower risk of whiplash injuries leading to permanent medical impairment as well as those with symptom lasting longer than one month compared with standard seats launched after 1997. Reactive head restraints in other makes than Saab did not show any difference compared with standard seats.
A correlation was found between consumer crash test programmes and real-life whiplash injury outcome. Cars with seats rated as good in the consumer crash tests had 30% to 35% lower risk of whiplash injuries with symptoms lasting longer than one month compared with seats with poor results. Regarding occupants with permanent medical impairment the difference appears to be larger.