The new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard governing head restraints (FMVSS 202a) is designed to protect vehicle occupants in rear-impact crashes. Static compliance requires meeting guidelines on, among other things, a measure called “backset”–the distance from the back of a manikin headform (SAE J826 + HRMD) and the restraint. The final rule was released in 2004 and, after petition from many parties, revised in 2007. This presentation discusses the effects of variability in installers on the design target backset. It also explores the relationship between these design configurations and customer acceptability.
