RE: headrest replacement options

[Charudatt <charu@iced.com>]

Thanks for the real life data point. Presently the archive's 
search engine is down, so I haven't been able to research
past experience of other Audi owners better.

I'm still not entirely convinced that the head restraints/rests
are exclusively whiplash protectors- if they were, why would
they be adjustable front-rear about the axis of the lower bar?
The adjustment is friction based and would not hold up to the
force of the impact of a head snapping back. I can only conclude
that they are also supposed to enhance comfort- hence the adjustability.

I think we should also consider why Audi's latest seats no longer
have the upright rectangle head-restraints/rests, well, OK, it could be
on account of some marketing drone wanting the cars to look more like
BMW and MB but I doubt it, more likely, IMHO, they figured that you can
have more
comfort without compromising safety.

As someone mentioned earlier, Volvo leaves no doubt that the
monstrosities
on their earlier seats were purely head restraints and NOT anything to
do with comfort. I'm curious as to how much of a gap they design in
between the back of the head and the restraint on those seats.

-Charu

Paul writes:

>Charu stated:
>
>> The flaw I see in this argument is that as your body sinks into the
>> seat it has a much lower acceleration compressing the seat, compared
>> to your head flying through the air before it hits the headrest.
>> Padded foam would equalize the acceleration of your body and head.
>> I'm convinced that the headrest design is an oversight/mistake.
>> It may make visual sense: stylistically distinctive and minimum
>> rear vision obstruction from the rear seat headrests, but in
>> terms of functionality they're useless.
>
>>        -Charu
>
>I'm not currently on the list, but read the archives.   Charu,  I'll
have to 
>disagree with you here.  Strongly.
>
>I was rear ended last June in My Audi Coupe GT, which has essentially
the same
>seat as the vehicle you're discussing.  I was stopped at a yield sign
with one 
>foot on the brake and one depressing the clutch.  I was hit from behind
by a 
>woman whom the police suspected accelerated and hit me at approximately
35 MPH.
>(she was looking to merge so her attention was focused behind her, she
freely 
>admitted to the accident).
>
>My head it the rear head rest and my body depressed itself into the
seat.  I 
>experienced ZERO neck problems.  That's what the head rest is designed
to do.
>The problem I had was in my pelvis.  Because I was at a complete stop
and the 
>depressed pedals were at different heights, my pelvis was "torqued",
throwing 
>my spine out of whack (essentially causing one leg to be 1 1/2" longer
than the
>other).  No seat would have prevented that.  The doctor and physical
therapist 
>had high marks for a seat that's 13 years old.  I wouldn't call that
useless.
>
>The entire seat is designed as a unit.  Don't mess with it.  If you
want to 
>change it, do the whole seat.  For me it worked in the extremest of 
>circumstances.  Several months later I am still working on my lower
spine, but 
>never had any complaints about my neck/head.  I wouldn't say the same
for when 
>a friend was rear ended in her Honda at 10 MPH.  Different story.
>
>Paul
>
>-- 
>Paul Marcello Souza     Internet : psouza@skyserv4.med.osd.mil