Actually this is quite a good idea but difficult for drivers who would need active restraints or a complicated system for driving. But the passengers would do much better in accidents seated backwards. Airline stewards most frequently are seated backwards in difficult conditions and the rest of the passengers would do better likewise.

sand, you are right about the airline flight attendants seated backward, perhaps the driver could face forward as a pilot with all the safety devices in place while the remaining passengers could face rearward in comfortable but very safe enclosed seats.

This is a good idea, but wouldn't rear-ending and rapid accelaration cause frequent discomfort to the passengers when they are rear-seated ?

the vast majority of car collisions are forward, remember you can still use seat belts for a passive rear facing system,and air bags could be used for the driver (pilot). Iam sure that in the future the personal passenger vehicle may look quite different than today. Any and all radical ideas may have merit.

one thing i personaly see wrong with this is for people that suffer from motion sickness, when facing backwards motion sickness is worse and happens quicker. not being able to see where the vehicle is going and being able to anticipate forces of driving for people that are suseptable to motions sickness really isn't a good combination. being able to see what is happening and not just watching it fade away into the distance makes a huge difference in getting sick or not.

I too suffer from motion sickness on occasion, have you ever taken the train in a car with opposing seats, it actually helps to sit backwards.

The idea might work, but there is some argument to whether rear facing seats are better in crashes. You would probably experience less whiplash and your body is better able to sustain damage on your back, but flying objects are now going to strike you in the face or chest. In a high speed crash the crash damage might be more dangerous, but in lower speed crashes objects you have objects in your car might fly into your face or chest.

Didn't they have some cars with the automatic seat belts for awhile? I think there were problems because people were more likely to forget the lapbelt and submarine under the shoulder belt.

Maybe it's possible to use some type of magnetic restrain system instead?