Texas Manx Club

by **cobra1169** » 02 Thu Jul, 2009 7:31 pm

Newbie here:

So what are the pros & cons of selecting low back seats vs. seats with headrest?

Thanks in advance!

by **Jack Duncan** » 02 Thu Jul, 2009 9:48 pm

My reasoning was that if you get hit from the rear, the headrests could stop a whiplash or a broken neck. Who knows, you may want to sleep in your buggy when the wife throws you out for spending too much money.

by **cobra1169** » 02 Thu Jul, 2009 10:47 pm

Good points! All of them

by **zelitz** » 03 Fri Jul, 2009 9:04 am

I have low-back seats and here is my assessment

Low-Back Seats
- Pro: Cheaper than high-back seats
- Pro: it is possible to make my brother crawl into the backseat during a rain storm when I have the top up.
- Pro: I can look up at the sun rather than the road I'm driving on.
- Con: If rear ended, the whiplash could sever my spinal cord or shove my atlas vertebrae into my brain stem.

High-Back Seats:
- Con: More expensive than low-back seats
- Con: More limited movements, wont be able to stare at the sun as easily while driving
- Con: Brother must stay in the front seat during a hurricane.
- Pro: If in a crash or rear-ended i might actually live.

Side Note:
- My seats arn't adjustable so I end up sleeping in the back seat anyway :p

Honestly I have low-back seats in my buggy and would not suggest them. Before I went back to school I worked as a paramedic and also as a volunteer firefighter. I don't have the cash right now, prob the next thing to get will be the high-back seats in lieu of the low-back ones. It may not look as cool or be slightly more expensive, in terms of safety i would prob rank it top 5 on the priority list. While whiplash only accounts for and average of 47 fatalities out of 14,000 injuries per year, having a headrest or back that extends at least ~4" above your shoulders can drastically reduce your risk of injury.

Verdict: High-Back Seats

Edit: Checkout http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/rulings/HeadRest/PEA/Index.html to see a 200 page NHTSA study about this.

by **Bryan Porter** » 03 Fri Jul, 2009 9:44 am

You forgot you can put your hat on backwards and be cool without
hitting the headrest.

by **zelitz** » 03 Fri Jul, 2009 9:51 am

Bryan Porter wrote:You forgot you can put your hat on backwards and be cool without
hitting the headrest.

Touche Sir

Yeah, I forgot about that, pretty major functional Con. Then again it is Texas and its a 40 min drive for me to get to civilization. If I put my hat backwards I might as break out the aloe vera when I get back. ;-)