Gender Bias and Equity in Transportation
By Rachel Roberts, Kerry O'Hare, Kate Roetzer, Abigail Wolfgram, WTS-DC
April 2022
Women are 73 percent more likely to be injured and 17 percent more likely to die in a vehicle crash than men. Fifty-five percent of transit riders are women but buses and subways are not currently and haven’t been designed with women in mind. Hang straps can be difficult to reach and strollers can be challenging to load or unload in a short period of time at a stop. Additionally, harassment and violence is an ongoing concern for female passengers of all ages. These are just a few of the issues that our panel discussed at WTS-DC’s April 7, 2022 event on gender bias and transportation systems here in America and internationally.
The event featured former Congresswoman Susan Molinari who is the Co-Chair of VERITY NOW and Natalie Draisin who is the Director, North American & United Nations Representative at the FIA Foundation. The wide-ranging conversation was moderated by automotive regulatory transportation policy expert Catherine McCullough. The conversation was highlighted on social media with the hashtag #WTSAdvancingEquity.
When it comes to safety and vehicle crashes, Susan explained that federal regulators have continued to use crash test dummies that are an appropriate size for the average male and do not take into account that the average American woman is 5.4 inches shorter and 27 pounds lighter than the average male. As women frequently have shorter legs, they sit closer to the steering wheel in order to reach the pedals. As a result, they are 80 percent more likely than men to suffer severe leg injuries in a crash. Additionally, due to differences in neck musculature between men and women, women are significantly more prone to whiplash in a crash.
Natalie explained that worldwide, women experience transportation differently. There are racial disparities and differences in the experience of low-income women vs. higher income women. Further, the possibility of gender-based violence is ever present. Research has shown that based on 16,600 interviews in 22 countries, 80-90 percent of women have been harassed in public. Natalie noted that high levels of harassment and other abuse in public transportation can limit women’s willingness to travel. Proactive measures need to be undertaken to address these real issues. She gave an example of what is happening in Bogota, Columbia where buses have been designed with two long rows of seats facing each other so that passengers can have a better view of what is going on around them, thereby providing an increased sense of safety.
As the conversation turned to the reasons why gender inequity is still so pervasive in 2022, Natalie noted that transportation systems mirror world power systems, meaning that men still sit in the proverbial driver’s seat when it comes to passing laws and devising regulations. Susan agreed and remarked that the “father knows best” mentality continues to be ubiquitous. While there have been advancements in recent years with more women in leadership positions, the month's panel discussion demonstrated that there is still much to be done.
WTS-DC thanks Congresswoman Susan Molinari, Natalie Draisin, and Catherine McCullough for sharing their time with WTS-DC members and friends.