(April 5, 2007)--The latest tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety find more needs to be done to provide protection from rear end crashes.

Just 22 seat head-restraint designs in current car models are rated good, while those in 53 other cars received grades of marginal or poor.

The latest evaluations also show the seat head restraints in more than 60-percent of car models fall short of current state-of-the-art protection from neck injury or whiplash.

Winners in seat designs included, among others, all Volvos; Audi A-4, S-4 and A-6 models; Ford 500s and Mercury Montegos; Nissan Sentras and Versas; Saab 9-3s; and Subaru Imprezas and Legacy Outbacks.

Rear-end collisions account for two million insurance claims each year, costing at least $8.5 billion.

“Even though we have more good performers, it's disappointing that so many designs are still rated marginal or poor," says Institute president Adrian Lund.

"Neck injuries are common in crashes, and it's not difficult or expensive to design more protective seat/head restraints."

Click Here For Insurance Institute Web Site

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