Vauxhall Meriva introduces revolutionary doors to reduce back pain

22 June 2010

The new Vauxhall Meriva just got even smarter as the family-friendly car introduces rear-hinged back doors especially designed to reduce harmful twisting motions and back

The new Vauxhall Meriva just got even smarter as the family-friendly car introduces rear-hinged back doors especially designed to reduce harmful twisting motions and back strain.

The benefits of the new Meriva are the result of the innovative FlexDoors, which are similar to those iconic black cabs seen in London. The doors provide trouble-free access to the rear seats, which makes entering and exiting as well as lifting objects in and out of the car effortless. The FlexDoors is ideal for ageing people and couples with little kids.

The British carmaker has put lots of effort into this innovation and studied carefully what type of front-hinged doors or door rear lessens the need for harmful twisting and reduces back strain. Commissioning a research with biomechanical research team of Coventry University, the researchers carefully tested activities mimicking actions that drivers, particularly parents, will do, such as fitting/ removing baby seats and handling shopping bags. The result of the study is shocking; the new Meriva ensures that back twist are reduced by up to 48 percent compared to vehicles with standard doors, while loads exerted on the muscles are up to 58 percent lower.

"With this research we wanted to prove that the New Meriva could actually help the physical wellbeing of drivers everywhere. The results speak for themselves - you'll be putting significantly less strain on your back with this car", said Dr James Shippen, head of the research and a professor at Coventry University.

The New Meriva comes just in time when growing numbers of Britons are injuring their backs, with 80 percent of people suffering from back pain at some point in their lives and one in six working days is taken as a sick day because of a bad back.

"Back injuries are arguably the most frequent injuries experienced by people in this country", said physiotherapist Joshua Wies.

"A car like the New Meriva is ideal for helping reduce the risk of injury in everyday life, especially for those more prone to back strains, like the elderly and parents with young kids", he added.

Brought to you by Autoweb.co.uk for all your Used Vauxhall & Second Hand Vauxhall