Euro NCAP now also presents innovative head restraint system in the new Golf with award

Wolfsburg, 04 December 2008 - Following the five stars given to the new Golf by Euro NCAP six weeks ago in the classic disciplines, the sixth generation of the bestseller has received further recognition. On this occasion, the independent testers at Euro NCAP have presented the whiplash-optimised head restraint system (WOKS) in the new Golf with an award.

Various different accident-related over-extensions of the neck are referred to as "whiplash syndrome" internationally. With WOKS, Volkswagen has succeeded in developing a seat belt system that considerably reduces the risk of injury in an accident: the defined rate of deceleration for the upper body and head achieves excellent levels of protection.

A decisive element can be seen in the special contours of the head restraint and seat backrest as well as the hardness of the foam used. Volkswagen has applied for a patent for the head restraint contour. The major advantage of this geometrically and dynamically-optimised system is that a level of potential protection has been achieved that was better in tests than the bio-mechanical results of many active systems. WOKS has been fitted as standard in the new Golf since October.

The new Golf was already graded with an excellent rating for safety at the end of October: it achieved 36 of 37 possible points and received five stars for occupant safety. It received four stars for child safety and three stars for pedestrian protection. Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program) is an association of European transport ministries, automobile clubs and insurance agencies which has regularly carried out independent crash test programmes since 1997.

Source: Volkswagen