WHIPS

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WHIPS is the acronym for Whiplash Injury Protection System, a system of protection against automotive whiplash injuries introduced by Volvo in 1998 in the Volvo S80.

In the WHIPS equipped seat, the entire backrest is designed to help protect the occupant's neck in a case of a rear impact.

According with a Volvo engineer:

The seatback moves together with the occupant in a way that is similar to catching a ball gently, while the head restraint remains rigid to support the neck

WHIPS equipped seats have a piece of metal inside the backrest that absorbs energy in case of rear end collision, reclining the backrest a few centimeters. The metal piece should be replaced after the event [1].

[edit] See also

SIPS

[edit] References

• Description and image of the system
• Scholarly articles about WHIPS at PubMed
• FMVSS 202a Dynamic Evaluation of the Volvo WHIPS Seat: html, pdf.
• WHIPS query at the IIHS website.
• Overall effectiveness report