最近，有学者分析了1998～2008年间全美车祸的伤亡情况。结果发现，女司机更易在车祸中受到伤害；进一步分析显示，即便在类似的交通环境、且均配戴安全带的情况下，女司机亦较男性易受伤，并且更易伤及脊髓和胸部。究其原因，专家认为可能与女性身材较矮小有关。这是否提示目前的车载安全设备，特别是安全带对女性而言设计不够合理？

统计还发现，发生车祸最多的是家用小轿车（Passenger car，占67%），其次是都市运动型多功能车（SUV，占15%），轻型小卡车（Light truck，11%）和商务车（Van，占6%）等。这些参数可以供大家参考，特别是外出旅游该选用什么样的车上路?更多资讯，请参阅原文。

Car Crash Injury Risk Greater for Women Drivers: Study

Their smaller size, preferred seating posture may make them more vulnerable

THURSDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Female drivers are more likely than males to be injured in motor vehicle crashes, possibly because of a lack of vehicle safety features tailored to women, a new report suggests.

For the study, the researchers examined crash data from across the United States between 1998 and 2008 in order to determine whether driver gender influenced injury risk. Forty-three percent of the drivers were female, and the overall average age of all the drivers was 36. Eleven percent of drivers were older than 60.

Passenger cars were involved in 67 percent of the crashes, followed by SUVs (15 percent), light trucks (11 percent) and vans (6 percent), according to the report released online Oct. 20 and slated for publication in the December print issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

The investigators found that female drivers wearing seatbelts were more likely to be injured than male drivers wearing seatbelts, and that belted female drivers suffered more chest and spine injuries than belted male drivers in comparable crashes.

The researchers noted "a higher risk of lower extreme injuries reported for female drivers as a result of their relatively short stature, preferred seating posture and a combination of these factors yielding lower safety protection from the standard restraint devices."

Based on these results, the study authors concluded that "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," they wrote in a news release from the American Public Health Association.

SOURCE: American Public Health Association, news release, Oct. 20, 2011