While North Carolina car accidents affect people of all ages and genders, statistics show that women suffer more serious injuries than men. Decades of research and advocacy efforts have shone a spotlight on why this happens, but specific changes must be made to improve safety.
A study published in 2024 by the Medical College of Wisconsin showed that women are more likely than men to suffer severe or fatal injuries in car crashes, even though men are in more crashes annually. It also concluded that women are 73% more likely to be injured in a frontal crash. While little progress has been made to address the disparity, there are clear reasons for it.
There are significant anatomical differences between a biological man and a woman, such as the shape of the neck, collarbone, pelvis, and legs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), women experience about 80% more injuries to these four areas in car accidents compared to men. There’s clear evidence that a woman’s body has distinct vulnerabilities when in a motor vehicle, yet car crash test dummies are modeled after men.
The dummies used in five-star testing by the NHTSA are the average height and weight of a man in the 1970s; they’re 5’9” and 171 pounds, but the average weight of a man today is nearly 30 pounds more. Since seatbelts and airbags are designed and built with crash tests in mind, the results don’t accurately reflect how effective the safety features are for women. They simply can’t show this because the dummy used to represent a woman is just a lighter, shorter version of the male dummy, but with a vest on the chest.
To make matters worse, the smaller dummy is rarely positioned as the driver in crash tests – they’re placed in the passenger and back seats instead. This is a serious issue because women make up the majority of licensed drivers in the U.S., and failing to test them as drivers isn’t representative of the reality.
The inaccurate placement, design, and weight of dummies are some of the main reasons why women suffer more serious injuries in car accidents than men, but there are a few other factors at play. These include the larger vehicle types that men tend to drive more than women, and the circumstances surrounding collisions.
How to Better Protect Women in Car Accidents
A study published in the National Library of Medicine in 2011 concluded that belt-restrained women were 47% more likely than men to suffer severe car crash injuries. Data also shows that women are more likely to suffer whiplash, concussions, internal organ damage, and spinal injuries in car accidents due to anatomical differences.
Thanks to extensive research studies over the years, much has been learned about the unique anatomical vulnerabilities of men and women in motor vehicle accidents. From this evidence, several strategies have been identified to address the increased risks of women suffering severe car accident injuries. While progress has been slow, advocacy organizations, experts, and lawmakers have banded together and are gaining momentum in the fight to change vehicle safety standards and regulations.
One such nonprofit, Drive US Forward, was founded by Maria Weston Kuhn, who was in a car accident with her family years ago. The two women in the car, who were in the back seat, suffered serious injuries, while her brother and father were unscathed. Wanting to understand why the women were more severely injured, especially since the collision was at the front of the vehicle, Kuhn formed Drive US Forward. Since its inception, politicians who are advocating for change within the auto industry have joined forces with the nonprofit.
Raising awareness of the issue and getting members of Congress on board are important pieces of the puzzle to make vehicles safer for women. A bill from Congress that requires the NHTSA to use a female crash test dummy with an advanced design would help address the risks women face in car crashes. After all, the current model, based on a man’s body, has greatly contributed to the safety inequality. Some countries already use the updated crash test dummies with designs that reflect what’s known about the body, including the true average weight of men and women. However, the U.S. is still using the dummy that was approved in the 1970s.
Why Contact a North Carolina Car Accident Attorney
While there are specific steps to take after a car accident, an experienced North Carolina car accident lawyer can help guide you through the process. Determining losses and damages involves more than adding up medical bills; a car accident attorney gathers evidence and works with experts to build a solid claim that demonstrates the extent to which your injuries have impacted you and your family, and how they’ll affect your future.
Having to deal with insurance companies and the added financial pressure from medical bills and time off work can be incredibly stressful when recovering from a car accident. Hiring a car accident attorney can alleviate this burden and help ensure victims get the compensation they need and deserve.
For women, who face a greater risk of serious injuries in crashes due to outdated safety standards and testing methods, securing legal representation can be vital. A skilled attorney can help ensure that these disparities are recognized and reflected in the claim, from accounting for long-term physical recovery to addressing the emotional and financial strain that serious injuries often cause.
If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident in North Carolina, Whitley Law Firm can help. Contact us online or at 1-800-785-5000 for a free consultation.
Whitley Law Firm Injury Lawyers is a family affair—in all the ways that matter. Partner Ben Whitley works with his father and brother to create a formidable force when representing clients. After all, helping injured individuals—people who have the deck stacked against them when fighting corporations—is why the Whitleys got into the business in the first place.
