1 Isn't this true even if the woman isn't driving but instead is a passenger in the front seat? So aren't they really saying that if women must travel by car, they had better sit in the back?

Come to think of it, I had heard that with airbags, anyone smaller than the size of the average twelve-year-old is advised to ride in the back, as airbag deployment could be fatal if you're too small. I'm not sure what use that advice is for petite women who need to go places, though.

2 Julie - the funny thing is I'm about the size of the "average man" they use as a template for car building.  I'm 5'9" so the "small woman" issue doesn't apply to me.  But I read this crap being spewed about and it makes no sense.... "take into account"... I shake my head. 

Does that mean smaller women need to rethink ever driving at all?  As you say, do they now sit in the back seat?  It's weird and certainly unacceptable.  Not to mention the absolute absurdity of the statement makes me laugh. 

The good thing to know is that cars built after 2007 have better airbag systems in them that perform better in an accident. 

An even more interesting item that is never ever mentioned... what about men who are TALLER than the norm.  There is never any data on their chance of injury or fatality when driving cars built for guys about 4-8 inches (on average) shorter than they are.

3

That was poor writing.  They should have phrased it differently.  The injury rate is higher because of the safety systems, to us small women.  I interpreted it to say, if you are a small woman you need to have a car with advanced airbags.

There are two kinds of airbags.  The old ones, in the car years they were talking about, are dangerous for us 12 year old sized women.  We can be decapitated.  I've heard some real horror stories.  For years, I refused to buy a car with airbags, but then I got into a jam that all of them had them, so I was going to get pedal extenders to push me away from the steering wheel. 

The new airbags take into account weight and other factors when you are up front.  The probability of injury is much lower for us of substandard stature. 

"Still, if you’re operating vehicle ;">without advanced airbags, it’s important to take into account the heightened risk of injury if you are a female driver."

That highlighted part is the part that scares small people like me.

4 Oh yes, I know about the real issue with airbags and small women and younger children.  I just thought the end of the article was very badly written. 

Not everyone is in a position to do something about the vehicle they drive.  So if one is stuck with an older vehicle with old airbags, I have to wonder what they expect these people to do? 

5 And I need to check to see if I'm in that situation.  I thought that when I bought my Sienna in 04 that it had an advanced version of airbags, but now I'm not so sure.  I know my husband's car does.  If I put something heavy in the passenger seat of his Audi, it rings a bell for a seatbelt.  
I have 190K on my car and REALLY REALLY want to take it to 250K.  REALLY want to take it that far.  As I said to my eldest, "It's... FREEEE!"  
I'm not sure what I'm going to do when I get a new car in 2014ish and it's all advanced with iPod plug ins etc.  I know my current car has a cassette player.  I brought my iPod cassette to Tennessee so I could listen to my iPod on my drive for ATL to TN.  I just sat there in the driver's seat as I realized... new cars don't come with cassette players... 

6 Take it into account means wear body armor

Just not female body armor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTGh0EMmMC8

7 LOL - that was funny.