The odds of sustaining injuries in a car crash vary tremendously and are often not rooted in a sole trigger. The range of circumstances may include each person’s role during the trip and their choice of vehicle with its corresponding features.
A driver may end up barely scratched when they wear their seatbelt properly. An unrestrained passenger, on the other hand, may suffer catastrophic damages. The scenario also applies if the above conditions are reversed.
The passenger, however, can affect how the driver steers the wheel. They can either be the driver’s other set of eyes as a helpful navigator or be a deadly distraction, causing the driver to lose focus.
Thus, the likelihood of injury risks does not necessarily depend on a person’s physical position, but on their behavior while seated.
The severity of injuries may not even result from physiological differences, per an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study. Whether men or women, the impact’s disparities may relate to vehicle choice and crash ratings.
Identifying crash discrepancies
The IIHS research reveals the following vehicular crash discrepancies:
- The number of women’s injuries and deaths exceeds that of men mainly because they drive smaller and lighter cars that often cannot withstand the forceful blows during a collision.
- Women are also more likely to drive the struck vehicle as men tend to drive larger and heavier vehicles, like pickup trucks, with more substantial protection.
IIHS also uses two safety measures to gauge the safety level of every vehicle. Crashworthiness pertains to how effectively a car can protect its occupants during a crash. Crash avoidance and mitigation tests the available technology inside the vehicle to prevent or reduce the gravity of the impact.
Sharing a similar safety goal
No matter who the person is or what kind of vehicle they drive, no one is entirely immune from a potential crash’s tragic consequences. After all, every road user shares the responsibility of following the rules for the community’s safety. But in the event of a traffic incident, there is always available support against daunting insurance companies. Injured parties should not hesitate to seek experienced legal assistance to ensure favorable outcomes.