A University of Virginia study published October 20th in The American Journal of Public Health concluded that women are 47% more likely to be seriously injured in an automobile crash than are men. This is due to the fact that women are more likely to be driving passenger cars at the time of the accident, are usually not overweight, and are on average 5.5″ shorter than their male counterparts.
Additionally, women are more likely to be injured because of their different neck musculature, their shorter stature, the positioning of the head restraints in a vehicle and their preferred seating posture.
It is vitally important that the safety restraints in a vehicle be tailored to the each individual passenger and driver. Children, pregnant women, women and men all have vastly different passenger restraint needs and should be checked for proper fit each time they buckle up.
Here are three important tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding seat belt restraints in a vehicle:
1. Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck.
2. Adjust the lap belt across your hips below your stomach.
3. NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.
Ask your car dealer about seat belt adjusters if you feel that your seat belt isn’t fitting properly. If you need a roomier belt, contact your vehicle manufacturer to obtain seat belt extenders. And of course, always, always buckle up!
At the Nelson O. Tyrone Law Firm we represent clients who have been seriously injured. No two cases are alike. That’s why we represent the individual – and their family – one client at a time.
Contact us at the Nelson O. Tyrone Law Firm and talk to us about your specific situation. We will sit down with you free of charge and discuss what we can do for you. If we can’t help you, we will do our best to put you in the hands of lawyers who can.
Do you have questions about what we can do for you?
Contact us at 404 377-0017 or via email at admin@tyronelaw.com. We will take the time to sit down with you free of charge.
Hayley serves as a Labor and Delivery Nurse Consultant for the Tyrone Law Firm. She attended and graduated Cum Laude from the University of Georgia in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Public Relations. After graduation she moved to the gulf coast where she pursued a career in real estate and development.
