Motoring news - Car safety features and holders of car insurance for women

Car insurance news - Car safety features not geared for women drivers

A report has revealed that holders of car insurance for women are more likely to sustain injuries in a car accident than male policyholders as vehicle safety features have been designed based on men's typical physiques.

Researchers examined ten years worth of data on U.S. motor vehicle accidents and discovered that women's car insurance holders and female passengers wearing seatbelts suffered more chest and spine injuries than men who wore seatbelts in similar crashes.

The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, has stated that women are 47% more likely to suffer a serious injury in a car accident than males.

It was also discovered that head restraints are not positioned to take into account the size and strength of a women's neck – while ladies' shorter stature means they are more prone to injuries on the lower half of their bodies according to the research which was conducted from statistics between 1998 and 2008.

The authors of the study said, "Female motor vehicle drivers today may not be as safe as their male counterparts.

"Therefore, the relative higher vulnerability of female drivers when exposed to moderate and serious crashes must be taken into account."

The authors concluded that health policies and vehicle regulations should tailor designs more specifically to holders of car insurance for women and female passengers to reduce the numbers of car accident injuries.