head restraint causing severe chronic pain How can we change this? A safety measure that injures otherwise healthy people. A one-size-fits-all that can't be adjusted for different body types and postures.

This has recently become a big issue for me, and searching the web for "headrest, neck pain", I am not alone. Newer cars have head restraints that push your head forward, supposedly to protect you in case of accident. Well, this causes me severe neck and back pain. I bought a new 2014 Toyota Prius V 2 two months ago, and I now have chronic pain that my chiropractor can't fix, because it returns as soon as I drive the car.

I wish I had kept my old car and paid $10k in repairs to keep driving it. A fifteen minute test drive didn't reveal how bad this was going to feel after two months.

There has to be a way to keep drivers and passengers adequately safe without causing us injury simply from sitting in the seat!

Some people have posted that their physical therapists warn them not to drive a car with this type of seat configuration.

Some people remove or turn the headrest around for some relief, making whiplash injury MORE likely in an accident than the old style, comfortable headrest.

Here is a paper showing the issues and recommended configurations for car seats for proper back health. http://www.allocca.com/papers/Headrest.pdf

I tested some new Fords and they hurt me even worse! Now I'm desperately looking for solutions. Aftermarket seats, maybe. Trading cars and losing thousands of dollars IF I can find anything new or used that doesn't hurt me. I hope not but it's not off the table.

Here's a link to some of the discussions I've been reading.  Too bad I didn't know to read them in July before I traded cars..

http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/showthread.php?99236-Has-anyone-improved-their-Prius-Seat

Here's another post from a suffering owner:

http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/showthread.php?99236-Has-anyone-improved-their-Prius-Seat/page6

Just bought a new 2012 Toyota Yaris (redesigned). One cannot tell during a 15 minute test drive what 2 hours of driving will tell you. My back is killing me and I never had back problems prior to driving it. The seats seem to have the same design flaws as the Prius, namely poor ergonomic design (hunchback) with low-quality foam and cloth stretched so tight that it is tented. The forward facing headrest is also uncomfortable. These are by far the worst seats I have ever sat in for a car. I realize that I didn't buy a Lexus or Mercedes when I bought this car, but the seat design is absolutely shameful. Looking at replacing them with aftermarket seats . . . Buyer beware.

Update from Sep 29, 2014: Well, I swapped out a head restraint from my wife's Prius 4 passenger side, and that helped. I added a Sacro-ease similar to this http://www.relaxtheback.com/mccartys-sacroease-back-support.html?gclid=CJeB-4CTh8ECFYMF7Aod1DoA-A Now I can at least tolerate being in the driver's seat long enough to get to a job.

If you have time, please contact the NHTSA about this. Complain that the new head restraint and seat regulations are causing you pain and that seats should allow adjustment for different body types and postures. I just got off the phone with them and the rep said if enough people complain they might open an investigation. I know, it sounds like bureaucratic runaround but if lots of people let them know, it might work. It's probably the only way it will change. NHTSA 1(888)-327-4236 http://www.nhtsa.gov/Contact I have also written my US Congressmen and Representative.