Obese Drivers At Increased Risk Of Death In Car Accidents

Obese drivers are more likely to die in car accidents

A new study has found that obese drivers are at a much greater risk of dying in a car crash than skinnier drivers. According to researchers, who analyzed data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System the risk of dying as the result of a car crash is 56% for morbidly obese drivers but only 21% for mildly overweight drivers.

Researchers stress that it is important for car manufacturers to begin using larger crash test dummies when they are designing their vehicles, because the majority of American drivers on roads are either overweight or obese. If they were to do this, they would realize that modifying the structure of the vehicles to better fit obese people may make it less likely for obese people to be killed upon impact with other vehicles.