Grammer Active Head Restraints at 2005 SAE

TROY, Mich., April 11 -- Automobile manufacturers and suppliers are developing safety systems necessary to meet new whiplash- protection requirements scheduled to take effect in 2008.

Grammer AG-Automotive, for example, will show an electronic active head restraint system designed to cut whiplash injuries at the 2005 SAE World Congress, April 11-14, at Cobo Center in Detroit.

The second-generation Grammer electronically-triggered active head restraint properly positions the head and neck in a rear-end collision. The system, triggered by a collision sensor, uses two coil springs, a plastic headrest housing and an electro-magnetic activation plate. It will be available in Europe on a 2007 luxury vehicle manufactured by a German automaker.

In the United States, a new head-restraint rule (FMVSS 202a) takes effect in September 2008. The new requirements unify standards for head restraints in an attempt to reduce U.S. whiplash injuries, which currently total more than 270,000 annually. "Many of these injuries ... become chronic, painful, debilitating and costly," says Dr. Jeffrey Runge, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

An advocate of improved head restraint design, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) subjected 73 head restraint systems on 63 U.S. car models to a new, dynamic test in 2004 to measure the impact of whiplash. The agency noted that there have been recent, significant design improvements. In 1995, only five model vehicles were rated "good" overall, but of 2004 vehicles tested 80 percent earned a rating of "good" or "acceptable." One of these was a vehicle equipped with Grammer's first-generation electronically-triggered active head restraint.

"The key to reducing whiplash injury risk is to keep the head and torso moving together," says Adrian Lund, IIHS chief operating officer. The IIHS study also noted that neck injuries sustained in rear-end crashes cost at least $7 billion in insurance claims per year.

Grammer also has introduced an integrated child-booster seat. The rear- seat cushion raises up to properly position a child over 40 pounds within a three-point safety belt. NHTSA has mandated the use of booster seats for children by the end of the decade.

Grammer AG is a world leader in the development and manufacture of innovative components and systems for automobile interiors. Wherever people use vehicles, Grammer, based in Amberg, Germany, sets the standards for security, comfort and ergonomics. Automotive is the company's largest division and supplies headrests, armrests, center consoles and integrated child-booster seats to vehicle manufacturers and their tier 1 systems suppliers.

The company's second division, Seating Systems, provides driver seats for heavy trucks and off-road vehicles (tractors, construction machinery, forklifts) as well as passenger seats for trains and buses. Grammer Seating Systems is active both as a first-time supplier and as a retrofitter.

As a global player, the Grammer Group operates with a strong customer focus that includes location of development and production facilities close to clients and relies on an international network of partners. In fiscal 2003, Grammer Group sales were $992 million; North American sales totaled $145 million. With over 7,500 employees, Grammer and its 20 consolidated companies operate in 13 different countries worldwide.