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Why Are Cars Less Safe for Women?

Why Are Cars Less Safe for Women?

Females have a 73% higher chance to be seriously injured in a car crash compared to males, but with all the crash testing’s automakers perform, you may be asking yourself, how is this possible?

While we know the safety features on cars have astronomically improved over the years, causing newer cars to be safer than older cars, there is still a risk gap between males and females. Listed below are some factors that could contribute to this gap.

  • Females have smaller bones.
  • Females have a lower bone density.
  • Females are physically built different.
    • Along with the obvious differences, the shape of the female’s and male’s pelvis are also different.
  • Females are normally shorter than males.
    • This tends to cause a female to sit closer to the steering wheel compared to males.
  • Females could be pregnant.

 Scientists have been working to lessen this gap since they created a female crash test dummy in 2003. Although, this female crash test dummy was created in 2003 automakers were not required to crash test it in their vehicles until 2012. Furthermore, this female crash test dummy was created only to represent the 5th percentile of females because they do not believe that changing it to the 50th percentile would make a difference.  

Along with females, elderly and large vehicle occupants are also at a safety disadvantage when riding in a car. These safety gaps are very complicated for scientists to understand, therefore, causing it to take many years to correct. But if you look at the vehicles Volvo and Toyota are releasing; they have created a design that favors a female driver in the occasion that whiplash would occur.

Overall, knowing women are less safe in a vehicle during an accident isn’t a comforting thought, but knowing you have the right insurance if you’re ever in an accident is.

 

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