The Disturbing (and Sexist) Reason Women Are More Likely to Die in a Car Crash Than Men

It’s a man’s world, and we have the data to prove it.

In a new book by Caroline Criado Perez, titled Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, the journalist and feminist activist explores how institutionalised misogyny affects the every day lives of women, using shocking statistics to back her research up.

Using data, Criado Perez details how everything from technology, to medicine and government policy is created with men in mind, but the statistics to receive the most attention thus far are the ones regarding women in car crashes.

If involved in a road accident, women are 71% more likely to injured than men. Not only that, but they’re also 47% more likely to be seriously hurt, and 17% more likely to die.

The Disturbing Reason Women Are More Likely to Die in a Car Crash Than Men

But why? It’s not because women are worse drivers – the reason is entirely sexist.

It’s because crash dummies, and car safety in general, has always been designed around the male body. Crash dummies are based on men in the 50th percentile – in other words, 1.77m tall and 76kg.

The use of female crash dummies is a recent invention, but their overdue introduction isn’t the only factor in the number of women injured. Women also often need to sit closer to the steering wheel to see over the dashboard, increasing the chance of suffering an internal injury in an accident.

Other disturbing facts Criado-Perez mentions in the book include how women are more likely to die in a heart attack, because practitioners focus on symptoms more common in males. And how women are more likely to feel cold at work, because office tempratures are tailored to suit men.