Does your back ache after sitting behind the wheel for long? If so, you are amongst the vast majority of drivers and the chances are you’re not sitting or wearing your seatbelt correctly.
Worryingly, new figures suggest that most of us don’t wear our seatbelts in the way in which they were designed and safety-tested. A recent independently validated survey revealed that more than 90% of drivers don’t sit in the healthiest sitting position and most ‘wear’ their seat belts with slack in the belt and so compromising safety. Being in a moving vehicle in this ‘slouched’ position puts strain on the supportive muscles of the lower back, often leading to back pain.
Several studies have found a link between driving and back problems with people who drive for a living being statistically more likely to suffer. Back pain affects an estimated four out of five UK adults (80%) at some point in life, costs the NHS more than £1.3 million per day and, together with neck and muscle pain, accounted for 31 million lost working days in the UK in 2013.
Now SHOFT, a simple, palm-sized device that takes just two seconds to fit on to your seatbelt, could put an end to those troublesome twinges – welcome news for Britain’s 36 million motorists, who spend an average of nearly 10 hours a weekbehind the wheel.
SHOFT addresses the main cause of backache in drivers by helping to keep the spine aligned with the seat back. It does this by eliminating the slack that naturally creeps into the seatbelt as the journey progresses. When you buckle up, its unique inbuilt ‘brake pad’ made of GRIPtene engages the lap belt section of the seatbelt, keeping it tensioned across your pelvis for the whole journey. This helps you avoid slipping down in the seat and keeps your spine aligned with the car’s seat back, supporting your back muscles and preventing strain.
Besides improving posture, it helps you to sit in the same position that all crash-test dummies are in for car safety tests, and helps to comply with the safety guidelines from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).
SHOFT has made the finals of the UK road safety charity BRAKE’s product safety awards and is anticipated by back specialists and ergonomics experts to significantly improve the health of the millions of Britain’s fleet drivers as well as reduce injury and possibly save lives. In addition, expectant mothers have welcomed SHOFT as it stops the lap belt from riding up over the bump. SHOFT also helps keep children secure in their booster seats avoiding the usual tipping and rocking that every parent knows only too well. SHOFT has also been tested and highly recommended by back experts and gained top 5* reviews from the UK’s motoring press including AutoCar and the Sunday Times.
“When your spine is stacked upright and supported by the back of your car seat, your muscles can relax and reduce the compression through your joints and discs. SHOFT stops you sliding down the seat, making a healthy position much easier to maintain – so you are highly likely to benefit from using SHOFT.”
Nell Mead, award-winning physiotherapist and clinical director, Victory Health & Performance (co-author of ‘HELP! My Car Is Killing Me’).
SHOFT packs (2 SHOFTs) costs just £24.99 (including P&P).
For more on healthier and safer driving, download HELP! My Car Is Killing Me – Top Tips For A Healthier Drive by SHOFT co-inventor Dr Graham Cox and top London physiotherapist Nell Mead (£4.99; Amazon.co.uk) http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00NZET8S8/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_opt
Visit http://shoft.co.uk and Facebook for more info and videos about SHOFT.
