WOMEN are at far greater risk of death or serious injury in a car crash than men, according to a study. And an investigation by Select Car Leasing suggests that’s because the automotive industry is still geared against women.
University of Virginia researchers found last year that women were 73 per cent more likely to die or be seriously injured than men. That may be because official crash tests carried out in Europe and the States still overwhelmingly use male dummies, say the leasing firm.
And the female dummy that is occasionally used is not an average size on either continent and, in Europe, is only required to be in the passenger seat for one regulatory test.
Other issues highlighted by the research included claims that that standard seat belts aren’t suitable for heavily pregnant women.
Voice recognition systems – becoming increasingly popular and vital for a number of car functions – also come in for criticism for not working as well for women as they do for men.
Go to www.selectcarleasing.co.uk/news to find out more.
