May 2003

- Brian Byrne

Women more at 'whiplash' risk - study

30 May 2003: Women are at much greater risk of disabling injury than men in 'rear-ender' crashes, according to a study carried out in Sweden.

And occupants of rear seats are more at risk of permanent whiplash type injury than those in the front, particularly if they are women.

The study at the Folksam Research centre in Stockholm examined 195 rear-ender accidents with front and rear occupants, where at least one occupant sustained permanent disability.

The researchers found there was a significantly higher disability risk for a woman rear-seat occupant compared with a male driver. Furthermore, a higher risk was found for female rear-seat occupants compared with female front-seat passengers.

The disability risk for occupants of the driver's seat was three times higher for females than for males, and four times higher for females in the rear seat.

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