All Volvo cars available on the market today offer among the industry's best head restraints, according to US organisation, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This is the third year IIHS has provided these ratings, and the third year every Volvo model's head restraint has been celebrated.

According to IIHS, "A good design means the restraint is positioned behind and close to the back of an occupant's head so it's where it needs to be to provide protection in a rear-end crash."

Whiplash injuries are a focus for Volvo because the symptoms are extremely painful and lasting. Additionally, whiplash is among the most common and the single most expensive injury resulting from traffic accidents in our society today.

Volvo's head restraints are only one part of the company's efforts to combat whiplash and related injuries. The Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS) recently debuted as standard equipment on Volvo's new S80 sedan. Based on two mechanical parts, the system is activated the moment the car is hit from behind.

Other recent testing by IIHS confirms that WHIPS "does a better job than even a good conventional seatback/head restraint combination in reducing the sudden relative motion of the head and neck that causes many whiplash injuries," according to IIHS president Brian O'Neill.