Statistically speaking, women have a greater chance of dying in a car accident than men. This is an odd fact given that men are the cause of vehicle accidents much more than women. There are many potential factors for the higher rates of death for women in car or truck collisions. For many years, there was no definitive answer as to why the discrepancy exists. However, a recent study has shed more light on the issue and might give us the main reason why.
Crash Fatality Statistics for Women
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) compiles yearly statistics regarding all sorts of car and truck accident data, such as how the accident occurred, who is involved, what types of injuries, and whether there were any fatalities. For 2019, the latest year that data are available, the data compiled state that out of 36,096 vehicle accident fatalities in the United States, 10,420 were women. The data demonstrate that women are 72 percent more likely to be injured in car and truck accident, and 17 percent more likely to die in a collision, compared with the opposite sex.
The reasons for this have confounded the automobile industry crash experts for years. Women safety advocates have argued that the testing standards for the NHTSA mostly focus on testing vehicle safety for the average man, not the average woman. For example, to receive the coveted five-star safety rating from the NHTSA, every new vehicle has to pass four crash tests. The tests are designed to demonstrate what would happen to the human body in the type of accidents that most commonly occur. Out of the four tests, three of them use a crash test dummy that is supposed to reflect the average man’s physical form and make-up. Only one of the tests uses a crash test dummy designed to reflect the average female physical form. The argument is that the tests do not adequately evaluate cars and trucks on how they protect the average woman. Therefore, vehicle manufacturers design and manufacture vehicles that mostly protect men, not women.
New Study Sheds Light on Old Assumptions
A new study issued by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has provided additional insight into the potential cause of fatality discrepancy between men and women. The new study indicates that women tend to purchase and drive smaller and lighter vehicles. Obviously, when you are involved in a violent collision, on average, someone in a smaller or lighter vehicle will suffer greater injuries than someone driving a larger or heavier vehicle. The correlation to this also affects the statistical numbers. Men tend to purchase and drive larger and heavier vehicles, on average, such as large passenger trucks and larger SUVs. The disparity between the size and weight of vehicles that men and women drive could explain the differences in the crash fatality rate. To add to the problem, there is a trend to design and manufacture larger and heavier passenger trucks and SUVs. The bottom line is that the more there are large vehicles on the road, the more fatalities and serious injuries will occur.
Media Car Accident Lawyers at the Law Office of Deborah M. Truscello Help People Who Have Been Seriously Injured in a Car Accident
If you or a family member has been seriously injured or killed in a car accident, you do not have to go through this horrible time alone. The Media car accident lawyers at the Law Office of Deborah M. Truscello are here to help you win the fair and full compensation you deserve. Learn more at a free consultation by filling out an online registration form or calling (610) 892-4940. Our office is in Media, Pennsylvania. We represent clients in Media, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Lancaster, Montgomery County, Norristown, Philadelphia, Reading, West Chester, and throughout Pennsylvania.
