24 November 2011

Although it’s apparent men and women aren’t always equal in the automotive world, proof is now forthcoming from a US study suggesting that standard safety systems don’t offer men and women the same protection.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), women aren’t as protected as men in crashes, with car safety designed with the male driver in mind. In test safety crashes, reasons ranged from the positioning of the head restraints (again, more tailored to men) to the different size and strength of women’s necks, with further damage being caused due to women being shorter than men and in sitting in a different position when driving.

More proof? In comparable crashes by the AJPH, with men and women both wearing their seatbelts, women were almost 50% more likely to suffer chest and spine injuries than men.

The tests were taken over a 10-year period with data accrued from across the USA. They said: “a higher risk of lower extreme injuries [was] reported for female drivers as a result of their relatively short stature, preferred seating posture and a combination of these factors yielding lower safety protection from the standard restraint devices.”

Begs the questions whether ANCAP should have a male vs female crash-safety rating?