City cars suffer when it comes to safety.

LATEST figures from the vehicle insurers' research centre at Thatcham show popular city cars as the least effective in saving occupants from whiplash injury in the event of low speed rear-end collisions.

The latest vehicle head restraint ratings reveal that consumers looking to reduce their environmental impact by buying smaller cars are being short-changed when it comes to safety.

No city cars achieved a 'good' rating in the study. Research manager Matthew Avery, said: "Although across the board we are seeing improved seat designs with around 75 per cent of all new seats tested now achieving a 'good' or 'acceptable' rating, more can be done.

"City cars are not equipped to protect their occupants' necks when they have to absorb the crash energy from larger, heavier vehicles which combined with poor seat design makes whiplash far more likely. Good seat design is not something that should be inherently linked to higher value cars and this latest set of results will hopefully act as a catalyst for vehicle manufacturers to look at improving seat and head restraints design within this important and growing sector.

"Thatcham have now given their seal of approval to three vehicle manufacturers - Audi, Volvo and SAAB - who are to be congratulated on each having achieved an 'all good' rating."