Study Shows Women are More Likely to Die than Men in Car Wrecks
According to a new study on vehicle safety, the consequences of a car accident are deadlier for women than men. The US-based campaign group Verity Now said women are 73 percent more likely to get hurt, and 17 percent are more likely to get killed in a car collision.
In the study of 70,000 traffic accidents, women were more often trapped in vehicles than men. Experts said part of the issue is that auto manufacturers rarely use female dummies in safety crash tests because regulators only mandate male dummies for tests.
Types of Vehicles and Crash Differences
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) examined the discrepancy in motor vehicle accident injury risk between women and men and found that the choice of vehicle and crash differences may explain why women are at higher risk.
Women are much more likely to suffer serious injuries than men, mainly due to the types of cars they drive and the circumstances of their crashes. Women tend to drive smaller vehicles, and their cars frequently get hit in side-impact and front-into-rear collisions more often than men.
Assessing Crash Data
Researchers analyzed the injuries of men and women in traffic accidents based on police reports from 1998-2015. They discovered that in front-on accidents, women were:
- Three times more likely to endure a moderate injury, such as a concussion and a broken bone
- More than 2.5 times as likely to suffer mild to moderate rate leg injuries
- Twice as likely to sustain a severe injury, like a traumatic brain injury or a collapsed lung
This is concerning since many popular vehicles lack standard advanced safety features which can help prevent or reduce the severity of crashes that are more likely to injure women.
A study by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) found that vehicles equipped with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and forward collision warning can reduce injury claims by 16 percent.
Safety groups have drawn attention to this disparity. They have called on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to address these issues that may lead to inequality in car accident injuries and fatalities.
Further Research is Needed
More research is needed to determine how to prevent these types of injuries in women, and more work is necessary to upgrade the crashworthiness of smaller cars.
A woman in a vehicle with a “Good” crash test rating could be safer than in a car with a “Poor” rating. However, depending on the type of injury, vehicle, and accident, a woman may still not be as safe as a man in a car with a “Good” rating.
Until we get to a point where changes in driver behavior and new technology combine to prevent accidents, this research highlights the need for crash tests to represent those being hurt or killed the most.
Watch the YouTube video to learn why women are more likely to be injured or killed in an auto accident.
Sacramento Car Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a car accident attorney in Sacramento. If you were injured or a family member was killed in an accident in Sacramento due to negligence, call our law office at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free friendly, and compassionate advice. Our experienced legal team is available to provide a free case evaluation and discuss your potential options for compensation. You can also reach out to us online at AutoAccident.com.
Since 1982, our injury lawyers have helped Sacramento and Northern California residents recover maximum Settlements and Verdicts for their accident and wrongful death cases.
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