Researchers discover why women get hurt in car crashes

On Behalf of | Mar 6, 2020 | Motor Vehicle Accidents

Women are both more likely to be injured and die in car crashes than men. Federal transportation statistics show that female drivers and their passengers who wear their seatbelts are 17% more likely to die in a car crash than men of their same age bracket. Women as a whole are 73% more likely to be injured in a full-frontal crash than their male counterparts even if both genders are wearing seatbelts. Researchers have recently come up with a theory for why that’s the case.

Consumer Reports argues that women are more vulnerable to getting hurt in a crash because the crash dummies that car manufacturers use to test the safety of their vehicles don’t adequately represent an average female’s body.

Augusta University’s chief of trauma agrees that the lack of a crash dummy that represents a woman is a problem, but not as big of one as the publication is making it out to be. He contends that their lack of injury prevention measures is a much more serious concern instead.

The chief of trauma points out that both female and male motorists could significantly reduce their risk of getting hurt in a crash if they simply put down their phones, abstained from driving drunk and wore their seatbelts appropriately. He noted that it would also help if motorists slowed down.

A representative with the automaking trade group Auto Alliance seconded that notion. They pointed out that one of the male crash dummies that they already use is nearly the same size as an average female.

Data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that women and men’s bodies are built differently. They note that a man’s neck can withstand significantly more force than a woman’s can. Their data shows that women and men may have different crash rates because of how they sit in their car seats as well.

Most traffic accidents here in Augusta and other parts of Georgia are caused by negligent motorists. They’re often in too much of a hurry to get where they’re going, too distracted by technology or driving too recklessly to get somewhere safely. It’s surprising more accidents don’t occur. A personal injury attorney can help you hold a negligent motorist who injured you accountable for their actions in your case.