Built in head rests. Why?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
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Sat 27 Feb 2021 18:04
Built in head rests. Why? - Trilogy.

Noticed the new Octavia vRS is another car introduced with sports seats and built in headrests. Why? Must be awful for rear seat passengers, in addition to those in the front who'd like to be able to adjust a headrest.

www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/skoda/octavia-vrs

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Sat 27 Feb 2021 18:22
Built in head rests. Why? - badbusdriver

Why?, because it is a VRS. Got to have the looks, got to look like you might have a 5 point harness in there!.

All about image and never mind practicality!.

I wouldn't worry about the rear passengers though, they will be to busy on their smartphones/tablets to notice the restricted view!

I didn't read the article, but had a brief look at 'interior'. It doesn't say the headrest is 'fixed', just 'integrated' so it might not be. There could be some adjustment within the cover, unlikely maybe, but not impossible.

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Sat 27 Feb 2021 23:29
Built in head rests. Why? - Manatee

They aren't headrests, they are head restraints to catch the bonce when it whips backwards.

I've never had any I could rest my head on however I fiddled about with them. Tombstone type doesn't need adjustment to be at the correct height because it is at every height, provided that it is tall enough.

Perhaps they should be compulsory, as they are incapable of being wrongly adjusted.

The most comfortable car seats I ever had, in a Saab 900, were tombstone type.

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Sat 27 Feb 2021 18:46
Built in head rests. Why? - Andrew-T

Must be awful for rear seat passengers,

I think statistically there aren't very often any rear-seat passengers in most cars. In our case we only had any when the family was on holiday, or at other times when giving a short lift to friends, when their seeing out was not important.

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Sat 27 Feb 2021 19:38
Built in head rests. Why? - Xileno

I suspect cost has a part to play. Any opportunity to shave a few Pounds off somewhere is much appreciated by those who control the budgets.

I seem to recall Volvos our family ran in the 1980s had fixed headrests. I don't remember any great issue with them. I suspect an incorrectly adjusted headrest is no better than not having one at all.

Edited by Xileno on 27/02/2021 at 20:36

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Sun 28 Feb 2021 08:54
Built in head rests. Why? - jc2
I can remember driving a Mk 3 Cortina with fixed Headrestraints!!! not rests.A 2 litre Sport!I can even remember the registration!KOO 606 J.

Edited by jc2 on 28/02/2021 at 09:37

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Sun 28 Feb 2021 12:51
Built in head rests. Why? - Trilogy.
Headrestraints!!! not rests.

Same thing.

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Sun 28 Feb 2021 18:04
Built in head rests. Why? - Bromptonaut
Headrestraints!!! not rests.

Same thing.

No. You may be able to rest your head against a restraint but it's primary function is to mitigate the effects of Newtonian Physics on the head if shunted from behind. See the A type restraints on lower spec eighties Fiestas or Escorts as an example.

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Sun 28 Feb 2021 18:31
Built in head rests. Why? - Trilogy.
Headrestraints!!! not rests.

Same thing.

No. You may be able to rest your head against a restraint but it's primary function is to mitigate the effects of Newtonian Physics on the head if shunted from behind. See the A type restraints on lower spec eighties Fiestas or Escorts as an example.

Excuse me Bromtonaut, they're the same thing. Headrest is just an abbreviation. thing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_restraint#:~:text=Head%...0

(also%20called%20headrests,injury%20to%20the%20cervical%

20vertebrae.

Edited by Avant on 01/03/2021 at 10:53

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Sun 28 Feb 2021 18:51
Built in head rests. Why? - RT
Headrestraints!!! not rests.

Same thing.

No. You may be able to rest your head against a restraint but it's primary function is to mitigate the effects of Newtonian Physics on the head if shunted from behind. See the A type restraints on lower spec eighties Fiestas or Escorts as an example.

Excuse me Bromptonaut, they're the same thing. Headrest is just an abbreviation. thing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_restraint#:~:text=Head%...0

(also%20called%20headrests,injury%20to%20the%20cervical%20vertebrae.

Resting the head and restraining the head in an accident are two very different things.

Edited by Avant on 01/03/2021 at 17:42

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Sun 28 Feb 2021 19:09
Built in head rests. Why? - Trilogy.
Headrestraints!!! not rests.

Same thing.

No. You may be able to rest your head against a restraint but it's primary function is to mitigate the effects of Newtonian Physics on the head if shunted from behind. See the A type restraints on lower spec eighties Fiestas or Escorts as an example.

Excuse me Bromtonaut, they're the same thing. Headrest is just an abbreviation. thing. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_restraint#:~:text=Head%...0

(also%20called%20headrests,injury%20to%20the%20cervical%20vertebrae.

Resting the head and restraining the head in an accident are two very different things.

Yes, you'll probably want to have a little lie down after an accident. Headrest or restraint could have been an asset. Head restraints are on numerous occasions referred to as headrests. Good bye, have a most lovely evening. And if you buy a car with a built in headrest/restraint - the former just has fewer letters - good luck with using it to break a window in an emergency

Edited by Avant on 01/03/2021 at 10:54

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Sun 28 Feb 2021 16:10
Built in head rests. Why? - skidpan
I can remember driving a Mk 3 Cortina with fixed Headrestraints!!! not rests.A 2 litre Sport!I can even remember the registration!KOO 606 J.

Dad had a Cortina Mk 3 2 litre, remember it well, learned to drive in it, dreadful car. There was the "L", "XL" "GT" and "GXL" trims until the facelift in about 1973, then the "GXL" was dropped in favour of the "E" being reintroduced. At least after the facelift you could read the instruments and the horrid oval (or was it ovoid?) steering wheel went in favour of a round one.

The GT was the one with the one piece seats with integral head restraints, lovely in nice slippery plastic.

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Sun 28 Feb 2021 09:09
Built in head rests. Why? - mcb100
This is all styling, no other reason. It’s to replicate a race or rally seat, complete with the slot through which the shoulder straps of a harness would pass.
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Sun 28 Feb 2021 09:39
Built in head rests. Why? - jc2
The Cortina seat didn't have slots!
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Sun 28 Feb 2021 12:48
Built in head rests. Why? - Trilogy.
It’s to replicate a race or rally seat, complete with the slot through which the shoulder straps of a harness would pass.

Just what every driver doesn't need today.

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Sun 28 Feb 2021 17:59
Built in head rests. Why? - Bromptonaut

'Cos it's a sports model.

My Fabia Monte Carlo has similar. TBH I preferred the conventional head restraints in my old Roomster.

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Sun 28 Feb 2021 18:34
Built in head rests. Why? - Trilogy.

'Cos it's a sports model.

For may years they've not been built in when used in 4 seater 'sports model' cars, bar a few exceptions like Saab.

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Mon 1 Mar 2021 02:19
Built in head rests. Why? - edlithgow

'Cos it's a sports model.

My Fabia Monte Carlo has similar. TBH I preferred the conventional head restraints in my old Roomster.

Well, I've got them, so that pretty much disproves a necessary association with sportiness, even as a who-are-you-kidding? affectation.

I assumed they were to help keep my head on when hit from behind by a gravel truck.

Which seems a good thing, to me.

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Mon 1 Mar 2021 03:36
Built in head rests. Why? - dan86

If you look at all drivers seats in lorries the headrest is built in all as one unit maybe it's for safety reasons?

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Mon 1 Mar 2021 07:51
Built in head rests. Why? - Manatee

If you look at all drivers seats in lorries the headrest is built in all as one unit maybe it's for safety reasons?

I already mentioned the advantage that they can't be maladjusted. I have often seen adjustable one at neck-breaking height.

In some cases people presumably think they are literally head rests.

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Mon 1 Mar 2021 10:11
Built in head rests. Why? - Andrew-T

<< I already mentioned the advantage that they can't be maladjusted. >>

The downside is that they can't be correctly adjusted either. Dolichocephalic people like me have to sit with head bent forward, a common problem with some train and plane seats. That means trading a continuous nuisance for enhanced safety in an accident which most probably won't happen.

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Mon 1 Mar 2021 10:54
Built in head rests. Why? - skidpan

The head restraints in our Kia Ceed were an issue for me but fortunately I only really drove it 4 days a year over long distances (wife's car) and I coped. The head restraints were on metal stalks (not integral with the seat) and the simple fact was with the seat back at my preferred angle the back of my head was toughing the pad and Kia had made the "wise" decision not to make the pad adjustable (other than up/down). It was constantly annoying feeling the pad whilst driving and the only solution was to recline the seat more, that resulted in the steering wheel being a bit too far away.

The shorter wife never had an issue.

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Mon 1 Mar 2021 11:47
Built in head rests. Why? - Bolt

<< I already mentioned the advantage that they can't be maladjusted. >>

The downside is that they can't be correctly adjusted either. Dolichocephalic people like me have to sit with head bent forward, a common problem with some train and plane seats. That means trading a continuous nuisance for enhanced safety in an accident which most probably won't happen.

If you check they are set at the least damaging point for the neck, where the adjustable restraints can be adjusted incorrectly and cause worse injury

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Mon 1 Mar 2021 15:05
Built in head rests. Why? - Andrew-T

<< I already mentioned the advantage that they can't be maladjusted. >>

The downside is that they can't be correctly adjusted either. Dolichocephalic people like me have to sit with head bent forward, a common problem with some train and plane seats. That means trading a continuous nuisance for enhanced safety in an accident which most probably won't happen.

If you check they are set at the least damaging point for the neck, where the adjustable restraints can be adjusted incorrectly and cause worse injury

Check what ? People come in all shapes, sizes and heights from 4'10" to 6'6", as we hear regularly on here. There is no one-size to fit all neck positions, so at the very least there should be some vertical adjustment.

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