How dangerous do you think it is to not use your headrest? I take mine off because?

Question

I usually wear a ponytail and my vehicle's headrest leans forward enough to cramp my neck unless I put the seat WAY back, which makes the rest of me uncomfy. I have a Toyota RAV-4 and yes the headrest is detachable. My husband is afraid that I can suffer severe whiplash if I stop suddenly. He may be right but he also worries more than the average person...got it from his Mamma. What do YOU think? Thanks!

Answer 1

lucky you dont live with my mom.....ive always get whiplash after she drives. over curbs, ditches, dogs, buckets, garbage cans, mailboxes, its all the same, all the same. before, when i was little, i used to yell "TRUCK!!!" or "BIRD!!". now i am all
"hey mom, theres a bus....." or "im sure he might walk again, poor doggy." shes a terrible driver. funny thing is....she 36. its not like shes all that old, ya know? there is no excuse.

but moving on to the question.....its a little unsafe to drive without a headrest. is it really worth risking a broken neck so your head dont hurt from a pony tail?

Answer 2

Personally, I would want a headrest in case of a hard hit from behind. Remember Dale Earnheardt? He died because of a massive whiplash which caused his head to jerk forward and then back again at an extreme pace, which snapped his neck immediately. If your headrest is that uncomfortable I hope you can take it in and have it adjusted. They're there for a reason.

Answer 3

Listen to your husband, he is looking out for your wellfare. You just never know and boy you sure would not want your head jerking back without something stopping it in case of a collision. Or, get a different car where the seat and headrest fit you better (with the headrest not leaning forward). Whatever you do, don't stop wearing your ponytail! (just joking).

Answer 4

the gov doesn't require them for fun. Worst case you can have you neck Broken from a serious rear end collision without the headrest. I got rear ended once at about 7-10 mph with a good head rest on my GM vehicle and my neck was sore and stiff for a about a week. at about 30 mph with no head rest you could have a fractured neck or worse,, just isn't worth it to look good.

Answer 5

i have to admit i do enjoy driving without the headrest... even though it's actually that dangerous.
the good thing i found about driving without the headrest is that i can see my blind spots ("shoulder check") better.
but now i have to put it back on for the sake of safety.
the one big gripe i have about headrests is that you can't recline or tilt it back.
so... i suggest you keep the headrest on.

Answer 6

The head reast is there to prevent whiplash in the event you get hit from behind. Whether or not you want to take the chance is something only you can decide, but there are thousands of rear end collisions each year.

Answer 7

first of all it is not a head rest it is a head restraint it is pretty uncomfortable to use as a head reast don't ya think? and second of all you should put it back immediately it is there to keep you from getting whiplash, the top should be level with your earlobes to work perfectly if you get into a wreck that is just going to cause you a great deal of extra pain you don't even want to have and it is so easily preventable

Answer 8

you should relax the ponytail, and keep the headrest. the head support is for someone that would bash you from behind suddenly, as well as a head on collision. they are there for a reason

Answer 9

Although the rest does offer a given amount of protection, my mustang doesn't even have one('67) A sudden stop won't give you whiplash but a collision may. But that wouldn't stop me from driving it. I just can't go through life in a state of paranoya. If the manufacturer thought it was so important............Why did they make it removable? Food for thought huh?

Answer 10

The headrest is there for a reason. If you want your head to snap off, I guess that's your choice.