A Yale School of Medicine study shows that ff you experienced a rear impact collision while your head was turned, chances are your injury may have become more severe and with a higher risk of chronic injury.

Previous clinical studies have found that people sitting in a vehicle with their heads turned at the time of rear-impact sustained more severe injuries and longer lasting symptoms. These studies show that the rotated head posture was the major factor causing more severe chronic symptoms, even when considering the presence of a head restraint and the state of preparedness.

The researchers directly compared their findings with those obtained in their previous study of rear impact with head facing forward at the time of impact. Rotated head posture at the time of rear impact caused significantly greater neck injury severity and more complex injuries, as compared to facing forward.

For details see the article Whiplash Injury Much More Severe When Head Is Turned over at Medical News today.