Women drivers more at risk of injury in car crashes

In a car crash female drivers are more likely to suffer injuries than male drivers, because vehicle safety features are designed with men in mind.

According to new research, women have a 47 percent higher risk of being injured than their male counterparts, even when they are wearing a seatbelt.  

These findings contradict previous theories and research, which have often focused on how the different driving styles of men and women affect their injuries after a collision.

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One of the things the researchers found was that head restraints and their positioning do not accommodate for the different of the size and shape of female necks compared to men’s.

The three researchers also believe one of the reasons women have an increased risk of injury is because they are usually shorter than men.

Dipan Bose and Jeff Crandall from the University of Virginia and Maria Segui-Gomez of Spain’s Navarra University said: “Health policies and vehicle regulations must focus on effective safety designs specifically tailored towards the female population for equity in injury reduction.”

The results of the research have been published in the American Journal of Public Health.

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