Study Shows Obesity May Increase Risks of Car Accidents

Jan. 23, 2013

A new study shows that an individual’s weight may be a factor in determining the risk of injury or death from a motor vehicle accident. The study was published in a recent issue of the Emergency Medicine Journal, and it concluded that obese motorists are at a greater risk of being hurt or killed in a car accident than those who are considered normal weight.

The study was conducted by a team of researchers at the Transportation Research and Education Center at the University of California-Berkley using data collected by the U.S. Fatality Analysis Reporting System over a twelve-year period. Of the nearly 60,000 vehicle accidents recorded, 3,403 pairs of cases were examined where drivers crashed under similar circumstances.

Results showed that individuals classified as Level I Obese under the World Health Organization’s standards were 21 percent more likely to die in a car accident than a person classified as normal weight.

Experts believe the reason for this higher risk may be due to the way seat belts fit a person who is overweight.

The Car Accident Lawyers at William Mattar Law Offices have years of experience helping victims injured in Car Accidents, and they may be able to help you if you have been injured in a collision through no fault of your own.