Whether women are more likely to be injured in the event of a motor vehicle accident is up for debate, although the results of a recent study tend to support that conclusion. As reported at the Huffington Post, according to a study published just a few months ago in the American Journal of Public Health, women are more likely to be seriously injured in car accidents.
The statistics gathered during the course of the study, which was based upon an analysis of accidents occurring between 1998-2008, support the finding that women involved in car accidents are 47% more likely to suffer from serious injuries. The reasons for the increased injuries? Well, the study’s authors believe that the increased number of injuries occurred because the vehicles’ safety features were tailored toward men at the obvious expense of women, as explained in this U.S. News Health post regarding the study:
The investigators found that female drivers wearing seatbelts were more likely to be injured than male drivers wearing seatbelts, and that belted female drivers suffered more chest and spine injuries than belted male drivers in comparable crashes.
The researchers noted “a higher risk of lower extreme injuries reported for female drivers as a result of their relatively short stature, preferred seating posture and a combination of these factors yielding lower safety protection from the standard restraint devices.”
However, some dispute the applicability of the study’s finding to most cars on the road today, as explained at the Huffington Post:
ABC News reported that the findings probably don’t apply to cars made today, since researchers only looked at car crashes between 1998 and 2008, and some of those cars were likely made before 1998.
“The average life of a car is around 12 years,” Clarence Ditlow, of the Center for Auto Safety, told ABC News. “The study would have a lot more value if it were limited to 2000 and later model year vehicles to make sure all vehicles had female friendly airbags.”
And, even though it’s possible that women are more likely to suffer serious injuries following an automobile accident, according to a 2007 study, men are more likely to sustain fatal injuries when involved in a traffic accident.
So, gender issues aside, automobile accidents pose serious risks for everyone involved. The best way to avoid getting injured in an accident is to do everything you can to prevent the accident from occurring in the first place. And, in the event of an unavoidable accident, make sure that you’ve protected yourself and your loved ones. Take every safety precaution possible. Buy cars with updated safety features, buckle up, and drive safely and defensively.