Car safety has improved dramatically over the past few decades, but a new study from the Technical University of Graz shows that women are not equally benefiting from these technological advances.The study found that women were still 60 percent more likely to be injured in a crash than men, even though they tended to be involved in low-speed collisions.
It is understood that researchers analyzed Austrian car accident data from 2012 to 2024, and used crash tests and virtual human models to restore real accident scenes.
The results showed that women were significantly more likely to suffer serious injuries to the chest, spine, and limbs, with older women facing the greatest risk.
The main reason for this is that for decades vehicle safety standards have been largely designed around the "average" male body type.
Even the industry's traditional female crash dummies are only scaled-down male models, corresponding only to very petite women.
Last year, the United States officially launched the THOR-05F female crash test dummy. This model is more sophisticated in design and is based on a real female body structure, rather than a simply reduced male dummy.
Austrian researchers say such changes are urgent because women are not just "smaller men". Differences between men and women in pelvic structure, ribcage shape, shoulder contours, and spinal movement patterns will greatly affect the severity of injuries in a car accident.
The study also pointed out that the seating position is also a key factor. Passengers in the passenger seat usually adjust their seats further back or sit further back, which will reduce the protective effect of airbags and seat belts. A higher proportion of women sit in the passenger seat, and the corresponding risks are also increased.