The risk of whiplash injury in the rear seat compared to the front seat in rear impacts.

One hundred ninety-five rear impacts with both front- and rear-seat occupants in the struck car, where at least one occupant sustained permanent disability, were selected for study. There was a significantly higher disability risk for the female rear-seat occupant compared with the male driver. Furthermore, a higher risk was found for female rear-seat occupants compared with female front-seat passengers. The disability risk for occupants of the driver's seat was three times higher for females than for males, and four times higher for females in the rear seat. In the future, test methods should consider the risk of whiplash injury in both the front and the rear seat.