It isn’t a surprise to most people to hear that women are safer drivers than men. They typically drive more consciously, drive slower and are less likely to drive under the influence. But hidden under all this lies a terrifying reality. While women themselves are usually safe drivers, the cars they drive are much more dangerous. Here’s why.
The Truth About Cars Designed For Men
Car designs, from the seat to the safety features, are primarily built around the body proportions of the 'average' male. The problem stems from the fact that crash-test dummies, the models used to enhance car safety, have historically been based on the 50th-percentile male.
The most commonly used dummy measures 1.77m tall and weighs 76kg, significantly taller and heavier than the average woman, with male muscle-mass proportions and a male spinal column. This decades-long practice has resulted in cars that may offer less protection to female occupants during a crash.
The result of this male centric design was found by the University of Virginia to manifest itself in the odds of a female occupant getting injured in a frontal crash are 73 percent greater than for a male occupant… that is a horrific figure.
The 'Out of Position' Driver
Women, being shorter on average than men, tend to sit further forward when driving. This is to reach the pedals and to see clearly over the dashboard. Unfortunately, this is not the "standard seating position" as determined by the crash-test dummies.
Hence, women are classified as "out of position" drivers. This non-standard position increases their risk of internal injury in frontal collisions, and the angle of their knees and hips makes their legs more vulnerable.
The Risk of Whiplash
Women are also more susceptible to injuries such as whiplash, especially in rear-end collisions. Due to women generally having less muscle on their necks and upper torso, they are more vulnerable to whiplash injuries — up to three times more, according to some research.
The modern seats, designed with the average male body in mind, exacerbate this vulnerability. Their firmness does not give way for women’s lighter bodies, thereby propelling women forward faster than men during a crash.
An Inadequate Response to the Gender Safety Gap
Despite research as early as the 1980s arguing for the inclusion of a female crash-test dummy, manufacturers and regulators largely ignored this advice. It wasn't until 2011 that the US began incorporating a female crash-test dummy.
However, these dummies are often not representative of the average female body, being essentially scaled-down versions of the male dummy.
In the EU, the situation is similar. None of the EU regulatory crash-test requirements mandates the use of an anthropometrically correct female crash-test dummy. While a 5th-percentile female dummy is used in one regulatory test, it is just a smaller male dummy, and it's only tested in the passenger seat. Thus, we lack data for how a female driver would be affected.
The Case of Pregnant Women
The safety situation for pregnant women is even more dire. Despite car crashes being the leading cause of foetal death related to maternal trauma, there is no government-mandated testing with pregnant crash-test dummies either in the US or in the EU. Standard seat belt designs often do not fit third-trimester pregnant women, posing a severe risk.
Toward a Future of Safer Car Designs for Women
Astrid Linder, Research Director of Traffic Safety at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute, has been advocating for change in this area. Linder is developing what could be the first crash-test dummy to accurately represent female bodies.
She has called on the EU to make testing with such dummies a legal requirement, arguing that current practices are a violation of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union, Article 8, which demands the promotion of equality between men and women.
In the United States Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has called on additional resources to both study and look for solutions to end this gendered gap.
Summary
While women may be safer drivers statistically, they face a greater risk when involved in car accidents due to designs based on male bodies. Addressing this gender disparity in vehicle safety design is imperative to reduce the injury and fatality rates among women and to ensure equality. And while there is still a long way to go, hopefully good news is just up the road.
Written by Michael Merlino, senior content editor at We Try Tires.
