Do we miss women’s conditions when we design crash-proof cars? Yes, according to Astrid Linder, who – on International Women’s Day 2021 – was named Gender Star of the Year 2020 by the Gender Equality Network in the transport sector for her groundbreaking and internationally recognized road safety research.
Astrid Linder (VTI/Chalmers) researches crash safety in cars for women and men. Her research shows that it is not only possible to scale down male crash dolls to a smaller size. There are other physiological differences between women and men that play a major role in how the body responds to collision violence. The research is a clear example that we tend to develop products and environments based on a male norm and when we do that, we miss the conditions of half the population. In this case with a significantly higher risk of injury and death in traffic for women as a result, not least in terms of injuries in catching accidents. Astrid’s research has received great international recognition. She is mentioned in the acclaimed book “Invisible Women” by Criado Perez which was published very recently in Swedish. In 2020, Astrid was also appointed professor of road safety with a focus on injury prevention at VTI.
The prize is awarded by the Gender Equality Network in the transport sector every year and goes to a person or organization that during the past year has done something outstanding or praiseworthy to promote gender equality in the transport sector. The 2020 prize was awarded in connection with the network’s annual meeting on March 8, 2021.
Photo: Annika Johansson, VTI