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A common complaint we hear is that a car's head restraint nudges the driver's head too far forward for comfort.
The reason for that design? Blame tightened federal safety standards and insurance-industry efforts aimed at reducing whiplash injuries caused by rear-end collisions. A restraint that is closer to your head leaves less distance for your head to move back in a crash, reducing the risk of injury.
We've noticed that the restraints of some new cars are striking a better balance between risk and comfort than those of just four or five years ago. Adjusting the seat angle can help.
—Jim Travers
Learn more about this subject and others like it on our car safety page.
This article also appeared in the November 2014 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
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