A study about female car accident statistics in 2011 revealed that women were about 50% more likely to suffer severe injuries and death in a serious car accident than men. The report said one of the main reasons is that because men are generally involved in more car accidents, car safety systems (seatbelts, airbags, and other passive safety devices) have been designed and evaluated with a focus on the occupant characteristics that commonly characterize the male population.
In other words, women are built differently than men, and safety features like seat belts and headrests were designed with men in mind. For instance, women were far more likely to suffer whiplash injuries because headrests were built to accommodate the musculature and form of the male neck. Also, women are generally shorter in stature than men, which seat and shoulder belt designers had not been taking into account.
Reducing Female Car Accident Statistics
However, a new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that car manufacturers have been working on the problem and made great progress in making cars safer for female occupants. NHTSA Administrator Steven Cliff said that there is still more work to be done to reduce the disparity in male vs female car accident statistics. “While NHTSA’s new report shows significant declines in differences in crash outcomes between women and men, there is more work required to eliminate any disparities that remain,” Cliff said.
The improvements are a direct result of NHTSA measures such as adopting and tightening Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for seat belts and airbags, as well as initiating educational campaigns to encourage the usage of seat belts. An NHTSA survey discovered, for example, that less than a third of occupants in crashes involving model years 1960-2009 automobiles wore seat belts, whereas seat belts were used by about 83% of occupants in later model year automobiles (model years 2010-2020). Experts say that dual-side airbags and more advance passive restraint system designs have helped reduce death and injury in female car accident statistics.
Female Car Accident Statistics and Injuries
Despite all the advances in car safety systems, there has been a steady rise in the number of car accident injuries and fatalities over the last decade. Most car accidents are caused by driver error, such as speeding, distracted driving, or drunk driving.
If you’ve been seriously injured in a car accident, call 866-730-3508 for a free consultation with an Orlando car accident attorney at the Martinez Manglardi personal injury law firm. Convenient locations throughout Central Florida.
