More to do to keep women safe in cars

TO THE EDITOR: 

Ford’s commercial for the Explorer Men’s Only Edition is a fun way to pay tribute to women’s contributions to the auto industry (“Bare-bones Ford Explorer celebrates women,” autonews.com, March 12). 

But why not be bolder? Make cars that protect women in crashes as well as they do men.

Ford’s executives must know that their mothers, daughters and wives have higher odds of severe injuries than men in similar crashes on the road. Modern vehicles have lowered these risks, but not enough. In near-side impact crashes, even with the latest frontal airbags in combination with curtain and torso airbags, women have a 20 percent higher fatality risk in cars than men, NHTSA found. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that female drivers have about twice the odds of suffering from a severe injury in a frontal crash. Also, women suffer from more injuries to their extremities. 

True, there is a market element to this inequity problem. Women tend to drive smaller and lighter cars than men. These vehicles better fit the average female body. They’re also less safe in a crash.

I look forward to the day when Ford and other automakers finally produce “women’s edition” vehicles that keep us safe. For now, Ford’s campaign is a positive step.

NORMA HUBELE, CEO, The Auto Professor, Chandler, Ariz.
The Auto Professor website provides a new-vehicle safety rating system called Auto Grades, based on crash statistics, which includes safety information pertaining to age and gender.