Although cars today are safer than ever before, women still have a significantly higher risk of injury in traffic accidents than men. This was shown by a new study by the Technical University of Graz, which found that women in collisions are exposed to a 60 percent higher risk of injury.
As CarScoops reports, researchers analyzed traffic accident data in Austria collected between 2012 and 2024 and reconstructed actual crashes using crash tests and virtual models of the human body. The results showed that women more often suffer serious injuries to the chest, spine, arms and legs, and older women are especially at risk.
One of the main reasons is the fact that safety standards and systems in cars have been developed for decades primarily according to the characteristics of the average man. The traditional female crash test dummy was mostly just a scaled-down version of the male dummy, although researchers point out that as many as 95 percent of women do not fit such a model. The researchers emphasize that the female body differs from the male in a number of anatomical characteristics, including the structure of the pelvis, the shape of the chest and the mobility of the spine, which can significantly affect the type and severity of injuries during an accident.
The study also showed that seating position plays an important role in passenger safety. Passengers often sit in a more relaxed position or further away from the instrument panel, which is why airbags and seat belts cannot provide optimal protection. Since women sit in the passenger seat more often, they are more exposed to this additional risk.
But this situation could begin to change after US authorities unveiled a new THOR-05F crash test dummy last year. It is a more advanced model developed according to the real female anatomy, equipped with additional sensors and more precise biomechanical features for monitoring the consequences of collisions.
In addition, car manufacturers are also developing more advanced protection systems. So, for example, Volvo’s new EX60 will use adaptive seat belts that analyze the position and physical characteristics of passengers in real time and adjust the level of protection depending on the circumstances of the crash.