subject: Obesity and car safety [print this page] It is difficult to escape the issue of obesity. According to scientists, it is becoming one of the biggest health problems for the UK's population. It seems that we are alerted to new and alarming obesity statistics every time we switch on the TV, read the newspaper or pick up a magazine, yet the situation does not seem to be getting any better.
There is a constant barrage of solutions to the problem of obesity that are thrown at us. Some solutions present new and ingenious diets as the answer, others recommend a simple course of lots of exercise, whilst still others tout the effectiveness of appetite-restricting pills and medical treatments.
Whilst scientists and researchers discover the answer to reducing the problem of obesity, we need to find ways to cater for the needs of people who do not conform to the average size expectations. The clothing industry is taking this seriously, with a great variety of shops and online stores springing up which have been created with the aim of providing attractive clothing in larger sizes.
However, many other industries appear to be doing a lot less than clothes stores. Take car manufacturers, for example. There are no manufacturers which advertise the fact that they have specially designed interiors for larger people, and safety equipment does not appear to be as effective.
Research in the US revealed that obese people are more than twice as likely to die in a car accident as slim people. The study found that both people who have a BMI of 35 or greater (30 is obese) and those who weigh in excess of 15 stone have more than double the chance of being killed in car accidents.
One motor insurance company has even suggested making car insurance quotes more expensive for drivers who are overweight. This would be for the same reason that men's car insurance quotes are normally higher than women's men present a greater risk on the roads so are charged more for their policies. Although this may be true for obese people, there are no plans as yet for this to actually come into effect.
The reasons behind the greater risk of death on the roads are not absolutely clear and there appear to be a number of factors involved. One factor is the fact that obese people are prone to sleep apnoea and other sleep conditions which may increase their likelihood of being involved in a fatigue-related accident in which they do not brake or try to mitigate the damage done in the crash.
Those who are overweight are also more likely to have existing health problems, such as high blood pressure. This raises the chance of complications should they be injured in an accident and means they may be more seriously affected than someone else who had been in the same situation.
These factors are out of the control of car manufacturers and there is little that they can do about them. However, what could be done is to adapt the in-car safety equipment to take better account of those who are larger than the average size.
When car safety tests are carried out, the dummy used is the 50th percentile male. This is the 'average driver' and this size dummy is chosen so that the safety equipment will be tested for its effectiveness on a person of standard size. However, what may be very effective for someone of average-size may not be nearly as effective for those who are not.
Airbags are at the centre of this discussion, as they can potentially cause terrible injuries if a person's head collides with one before it has fully deployed. Size and weight are thus very important issues to consider in the design of airbags, and it is vital that airbag manufacturers take into consideration the growing number of heavier people.
Researchers have started looking into smart airbags to provide a solution to this problem. These airbags would measure the position and size of the person and react accordingly so that the person and airbag collide at the appropriate time. Tiny cameras are used in some of the smart airbag systems which are in development, as these would be able to monitor activity within the vehicle precisely, thus providing the best possible airbag reaction.
Seatbelts are another safety feature which may need to be altered in order to provide better protection. At present, some find them too uncomfortable to wear correctly while others neglect to wear them at all. This may well have an influence on the high death rates of obese people that were found by researchers, as the wearing of seatbelts is instrumental in preventing serious injuries. Simply lengthening them or adapting their design could improve comfort and usage rates for overweight drivers and passengers.
It is likely that the obesity problem in the UK will remain for quite some time as it is not something that there is any quick fix for. By taking the time to research car interiors that would be suitable for people of different sizes, driving could be made a much safer and more comfortable experience for the millions of British people who are overweight.
