Avoiding the misery of whiplash
Whiplash is one of the most prevalent, painful and persistent injuries. The Institute of Advanced Motoring has a simple guide on how to reduce the risk:
? Keep a good distance in front of the car behind you so you can slow down gently.
? Except in an emergency, always look in the mirror before braking.
? Knowing what the car behind is doing is the best way to avoid getting hit from behind.
? Make sure you have a properly adjusted head restraint. The top of the head restraint should be level with the top of your head for maximum safety.
? Anticipate the traffic ahead and drive to avoid stopping as often -- slowing down earlier gives the driver behind more time to react.
? Try and signal early for junctions to give time for the traffic behind you to react.
? Keep your foot lightly on the footbrake as traffic approaches from behind to show brake lights as a warning, until you are sure it is stopping.
Originally published in
