Whiplash claims are one of the most common injuries featuring insurance claims made by insurance companies' costumers, and this may largely be due to the fact that many cars on the market are not adequately built to protect passengers and prevent whiplash injury.

Most customers are however unaware of this as research on the matter is very limited, greatly due to the recent nature of the knowledge of the fact that whiplash is caused often and badly prevented -in the current situation. City cars are the least effective in preventing whiplash injuries in low-speed rear-end shunts. That's the stark warning from Thatcham, the insurance industry's research centre, as it published its new head restraint ratings.

The report explains that drivers are being short-changed on safety, with the front seats of 11 small cars failing miserably to impress testers. Not one was rated as Good, which is described as 'offering good protection for most sizes of occupant'. And only two were Acceptable, while the vast majority were Marginal. The Fiat Panda and Ford Ka were graded as Poor, which means they 'offer little protection from whiplash'.

Thatcham's crash research manager, Matthew Avery, said: "City cars are not equipped to protect their occupants' necks when they have to absorb the crash energy from larger, heavier vehicles. Combined with poor seat design, this makes whiplash far more likely."

Avery then added that a good seat design shouldn't be linked to the cost of the car, and while 75 per cent of all seats tested achieved a Good or Acceptable rating, more needed to be done in the city car sector. This category is growing in size as more motorists choose to drive 'greener', cheaper-to-run models which tend to also have better anti-whiplash prevention and protection. The newer modules learn from the past's faulty ones, explaining why they offer better built vehicles for today's consumers.

Meanwhile, Thatcham has given its seal of approval to premium manufacturers Audi, Saab and Volvo for achieving a Good rating on every vehicle in their ranges.

Whiplash injuries cost the insurance industry millions of pounds annually, according to the Association of British Insurers. The Association also reported that there were 432,000 claims alone in the last financial year, with the average amount paid out to motorists coming in at £3,500 - a whopping £1.5billion claim bill in total.

Thatcham has published complete results of its whiplash tests online. Log on to the website www.thatcham.org to find out how well your car's front seats performed and consider upgrading to a safer model as it may very well be worth your while -and money. If you opt out from a vehicle upgrade, a cheaper solution on offer could be to get health insurance which covers against whiplash claims. This type of cover would be less pricey than a new car but just as worth it.

Most health insurances cover against whiplash but some do so better than others. If you decide to shop for different health insurance than your current choice, keep certain things in mind. Firstly, ensure they cover you against whiplash specifically. Secondly, have a look at what their requirements are. Does the accident need to be another driver's fault for you to make your claim? Remember car insurance does not usually cover against whiplash - you need separate health insurance to protect yourself against these risks.

If you are suffering from whiplash, make an appointment to see your GP immediately. You need certified proof from a qualified doctor that you are in actual fact suffering from whiplash, but the doctor is unlikely to sign anything unless he has witnessed the symptoms himself. Whiplash is often short-lived, so go to A&E if necessary.