Monday, May 11, 2026

New study: Women are 60 percent more likely to be injured in car accidents than men

A study by TU Graz, financed by the Austrian Road Safety Fund (VSF), shows that women have a 60 per cent higher injury risk in car accidents compared to men. This is especially true for female passengers and older women

Graz University of Technology

image:
Corina Klug is a researcher at the Institute for Vehicle Safety at TU Graz in Austria. Image source: Lunghammer - TU Graz
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Credit: Lunghammer - TU Graz

Cars have become increasingly safe over the past few decades. However, not all groups of people benefit equally from this. Researchers at the Institute of Vehicle Safety at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) have now analysed Austrian accident data for the years 2012 to 2024 and reconstructed individual accidents in detail. The results of the study show that when two occupants of different sex are in the vehicle, women are significantly more likely to suffer injuries than men. In concrete terms, their risk of injury is greater by a factor of 1.6.

Same speed, more serious consequences

Women suffer noticeably more severe injuries than male occupants even at lower collision speeds. The risk of being seriously injured or killed is more than twice as high for them in these cases. “Our analyses show that women are injured disproportionately more often, especially in the chest, spine, arms and legs,” says the project coordinator, Corina Klug from the Institute of Vehicle Safety at TU Graz. The higher injury risk for women is particularly evident in the 50+ age group.

In the study, real accidents were reconstructed and simulated with virtual human models in different sitting positions. This made it possible to objectively compare the stresses that affect the female and male body. In addition to the significantly higher risk of injury for women, the study shows that the seating position on the passenger side has a massive influence on the risk of injury. This applies to both women and men, but women are more likely to ride in the passenger seat than men. “We’ve all seen a passenger seat positioned far back or even reclined. However, airbags and seat belts are not designed for such non-standard positions,” explains Corina Klug. The good news is that consumer protection (Euro NCAP) has already taken up this issue and has been carrying out tests on both dummies and human models in different seat positions since the beginning of the year.

“Women are not little men”

It is clear that there is a need to catch up with regard to the safety of women in vehicles. For decades, the 50th percentile man – the statistical “average man” – was defined as the global benchmark for safety. This male reference figure is deeply rooted in the historically evolved vehicle approval procedure and still shapes the test methods today. Models that correspond to the average male body are primarily used for the vehicle approval procedure. Even the so-called “female” dummy is merely a scaled-down version of the male model and also corresponds to a very small woman – 95 per cent of women are taller and heavier than this reference point. This also applies to the improved dummies whose use is currently being discussed. Specific anatomical characteristics of average women – such as pelvic width, chest circumference and shoulder geometry – are currently not realistically represented by any dummy for frontal or side crashes. Currently, there are only dummies of the average woman for rear-end collisions; these were developed as part of EU projects. But, they are not yet in use.

The biomechanical differences therefore remain largely unconsidered methodologically, which limits the transferability of the test results to the actual injury risk of women. “Women are not little men. And models of very small, petite women are often unable to represent what we observe in the accidents,” Corina Klug summarises.

Clear recommendations: intelligent safety systems, more realistic tests

TU Graz derives clear recommendations from the study. Safety systems such as seat belts and airbags must become more intelligent. So-called adaptive belt-force limiters limit how strongly a belt restrains people in the event of a collision and automatically adapt these forces to the severity of the accident, the occupants’ physique and sitting position. In order for such systems to be available in more vehicles, they must also be evaluated in consumer protection and ideally in vehicle approval procedures. More realistic tests are also needed. Future approval procedures should stipulate different body shapes and more realistic seating positions. “Virtual, biomechanically realistic human models are a key component here. We can use computer simulations to significantly expand the historically male-centred and rigid test procedures,” says Corina Klug. The virtual models are able to not only simulate a wide variety of body shapes, but also enable different seating positions in the vehicle to be analysed without additional tests in the crash laboratory.

Positioning belts correctly

An often underestimated factor is the position of the belt on the body and the friction between the person in the car and the seat or belt. Thick winter jackets or blankets impair the transmission of force, which means that the body can slip under the belt in the event of an impact. This so-called ‘submarining’ can lead to serious internal injuries, as the belt does not act on the stable pelvic bone but in the region of the vulnerable soft tissue. “In addition to design measures to ensure that safe seating positions are also comfortable seating positions, more information is needed on the correct seat adjustment and belt position,” emphasises Corina Klug. “It is important not to sit too far back, to straighten the backrest and to position the belt so that the lap belt lies on the pelvic bone and the shoulder belt runs over the collarbone. This is the best way for the restraint systems to fulfil their function and, in the case of an accident, to slow the person down as gently as possible.”

The study “DIVERSE: Differences between men and women in vehicle occupant protection” was financed by the Austrian Road Safety Fund (VSF) and carried out under the leadership of the Institute of Vehicle Safety at TU Graz. Download the barrier-free final report of the entire study at: https://www.bmimi.gv.at/verkehrssicherheit/beratung-foerderung/vsf/publikationen/forschungsarbeiten/103_diverse.html (German only)

The study reconstructed real-life accidents, including through crash tests conducted at the Institute for Vehicle Safety at TU Graz.

Photo of a crash test at the Institute for Vehicle Safety at TU Graz.

Credit

VSI - TU Graz

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

DIVERSE – Unterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen im Fahrzeug-Insassenschutz

Tuberculosis risk: promising approaches for screening and prediction

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München

LMU researchers evaluate host-response test for tuberculosis in high-risk household contacts in Africa

Household contacts of people with tuberculosis (TB) have a high risk of getting TB themselves, at around 2 percent. It is currently difficult to detect TB in its early stages, or predict who will go on to have TB, and therefore preventive treatment is not widely used. Most contacts are asymptomatic and current approaches rely mainly on symptom-based screening and sputum testing, which often miss early or hidden disease. As a result, many infections are only identified once the disease has progressed.

A study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases by LMU scientists Professor Katharina Kranzer, Dr Norbert Heinrich, and colleagues within the ERASE-TB consortium explores a different approach: host-response assays. The researchers assessed whether a blood-based 3-gene host-response test can detect active tuberculosis and help predict future disease. Unlike standard tests that detect the bacteria directly, these assays measure the body’s immune response, which may allow earlier identification of infection and people at higher risk of disease.

Large-scale study in African households

In a large prospective study funded by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP2), the team evaluated the Cepheid Xpert MTB Host Response (MTB-HR) blood test in more than 2,000 household contacts in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Participants aged 10 years and older were followed for up to two years with regular clinical, imaging, and laboratory assessments. At each visit, a finger-prick blood sample was analysed using the GeneXpert platform.

The MTB-HR assay showed good accuracy for detecting active tuberculosis and was able to distinguish well between individuals with and without disease. Its ability to predict future disease was moderate, performing best shortly before disease onset but less precise when predicting TB onset longer in the future. The test’s positive predictive value for incident was higher than that of currently used immunological tests, although overall it did not meet WHO criteria as a stand-alone screening or predictive tool.

Improving the effectiveness of tuberculosis prevention

The findings suggest that immune-based tests may help both to detect active tuberculosis and to identify people who are at risk of developing the disease in the future. The researchers highlight that household contacts are often asymptomatic at the time of screening, despite potential infection. Current standard tests have limited ability to predict who will progress to active disease.

Overall, the study provides important evidence that host-response assays could contribute to more targeted screening and prevention strategies, potentially reducing unnecessary preventive treatment and improving the efficiency of tuberculosis control efforts. At the same time, the researchers underscore the importance of assessing such tools in the real-world settings where they are intended to be used.

Journal

The Lancet Infectious Diseases

DOI

10.1016/S1473-3099(26)00114-3

Article Title

Diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis host response 3-gene cartridge among tuberculosis household contacts in Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe: a prospective, longitudinal, diagnostic and prognostic accuracy cohort study

Large-scale multi-omics study aims to decode aging in the Indian population

“India is undergoing a rapid demographic transition, with its elderly population projected to exceed 347 million by 2050”

Impact Journals LLC

The BHARAT study: a multi-modal, multi-omics investigation of aging signatures in the Indian population — image:
Figure 1. Study team and collaborative framework of the BHARAT study. Schematic representation of the hub-and-spoke collaborative model underpinning the BHARAT study, conducted under the Longevity India initiative. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) functions as the central hub, providing advanced laboratory infrastructure, centralized biobanking, AI/ML and computational frameworks, and secure data storage and governance. Multiple regional clinical partners serve as spokes, facilitating participant recruitment, clinical phenotyping, and the collection of primary data and biospecimens.
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Credit: Copyright: © 2026 Asthana et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

“India is undergoing a rapid demographic transition, with its elderly population projected to exceed 347 million by 2050.”

BUFFALO, NY — May 7, 2026 — A new research paper was published in Volume 18 of Aging-US on April 24, 2026, titled “The BHARAT study: a multi-modal, multi-omics investigation of aging signatures in the Indian population.”

The study was led by first author Suramya Asthana and corresponding author Deepak Kumar Saini from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The authors introduce the BHARAT Study (Biomarkers of Healthy Aging, Resilience, Adversity, and Transitions), India’s first large-scale, discovery-driven multi-omics cohort focused on understanding biological aging in the Indian population. The initiative was developed to address a major gap in aging research, as most existing biological age models and aging datasets have been derived primarily from Western populations.

The BHARAT study is a multi-center, cross-sectional observational cohort that integrates clinical, molecular, lifestyle, and environmental data from participants across diverse demographic groups in India. The initiative aims to enroll healthy volunteers spanning multiple age groups, with balanced rural-urban and sex representation. Biological samples—including blood, urine, stool, cheek swabs, and hair—will undergo extensive multi-omics profiling, including epigenomics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, metagenomics, and immune phenotyping.

“By generating interoperable, high-resolution data suited for mechanistic modelling and machine learning, BHARAT contributes a resource of global relevance that would be capable of refining universal models of aging biology while revealing novel, population-specific pathways that inform prevention and intervention strategies.”

The initiative uses a hub-and-spoke framework centered at the Indian Institute of Science, which serves as the central hub for biobanking, multi-omics analysis, computational integration, and AI-driven modeling. Clinical and community partners across India contribute participant recruitment, clinical assessments, and biological sampling, enabling the study to capture the country’s extraordinary genetic, environmental, dietary, and socioeconomic diversity.

A major focus of the study is the development of population-specific biological aging signatures and predictive models tailored to Indian populations. Researchers aim to identify biomarkers associated with resilience, frailty, and age-related decline while also recalibrating biological clocks that may not accurately reflect aging trajectories in non-Western populations. The study further seeks to establish standardized reference datasets and create scalable infrastructure for future longitudinal aging research in India.

Importantly, the BHARAT study combines untargeted discovery-based omics technologies with advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches. By integrating molecular data with clinical and lifestyle information, the initiative aims to improve understanding of how biological aging is shaped by genetics, environment, nutrition, infection burden, and social determinants of health.

Overall, this study establishes a comprehensive framework for aging research in one of the world’s most diverse populations. By generating large-scale, population-specific biological datasets, the BHARAT initiative may help advance precision aging research, improve risk prediction models, and support the development of more personalized approaches to healthy aging and disease prevention.

Paper DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206373

Corresponding author: Deepak Kumar Saini – deepaksaini@iisc.ac.in

Abstract video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH2AbitDURQ

Keywords: aging, protocol, multi-omics, population study, biomarker discovery

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Journal

Aging-US

DOI

10.18632/aging.206373

Method of Research

News article

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

The BHARAT study: a multi-modal, multi-omics investigation of aging signatures in the Indian population

Article Publication Date

24-Apr-2026

COI Statement

DKS is a scientific advisor for Biopeak Wellness and the Founder of Rejuvome Therapeutics. These companies have no role in the current study design. None of the industry partners has any role in the study design or interpretation. Other academic authors have no conflicts to declare.

Cooling without pumps: New measurement data for modular reactors

Paul Scherrer Institute

image:
Yago Rivera Durán from the PSI Center for Nuclear Engineering and Sciences has investigated passive cooling systems for small modular reactors. The experiments provide important insights for the development of future generations of reactors.
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Credit: © Paul Scherrer Institute PSI/Markus Fischer

Small modular reactors are compact nuclear power plants with an electrical capacity of up to 300 megawatts. These are significantly smaller than current plants, which have a capacity of around 1,000 megawatts and more. They can be mass-produced and are considered promising for flexible deployment scenarios. A key feature of many of these reactors is their safety concept: Instead of relying on active systems that require external energy, they use passive cooling. Physical effects such as condensation, gravity, and density differences can keep the reactor safe in an emergency.

Up to now, however, the simulation of such complex cooling processes has required experimental data that have so far been limited. A new study at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI now provides important contributions to help close this gap. At PSI’s PANDA test facility, researchers have for the first time investigated passive cooling systems for small modular reactors under realistic conditions. The experiments, carried out with scientific support from cooperation partners in more than ten countries, provide high-resolution measurement data that can be used to validate such systems in simulations. The results have been published in the journal Nuclear Engineering and Design.

Cooling steam through natural heat exchange

The experiment at PSI addressed a central question in the design of nuclear power plants: What happens if, in an accident, steam is released from the reactor into the power plant’s outer containment structure? This steam has to be cooled, or it will increase pressure on the containment structure. In conventional reactors, active safety measures such as water spray systems, which require pumps and valves, handle these tasks. They dissipate heat and keep the pressure in the containment vessel under control. However, these systems depend on a reliable power supply. If that fails, their function can be impaired. Therefore, researchers are increasingly looking into passive means of cooling steam.

To further that line of research a project team with Yago Rivera Durán from the PSI Center for Nuclear Engineering and Sciences, tested a closed cooling circuit. This consists of a vertical pipe, approximately six metres high, through which cold water flows. If steam were to escape into the containment vessel during an incident, it would strike the cold surface of the pipe, condense there, and drip back into the reactor as liquid water.

The heat released in this process is transferred to the water inside the pipe. Because warm water is less dense than cold water, it naturally rises and releases its heat to a water reservoir. The cooled water then flows back down. This creates a natural cycle based solely on the density difference between warmer and colder water – entirely without pumps or electricity.

Previous experiments had already shown that such systems work. The PSI team has now gone a step farther and presented, for the first time, highly detailed measurement data showing precisely how the physical processes inside a system on the scale of a nuclear power plant would unfold. Using high-speed cameras, the researchers even documented in detail tiny droplets of water that condense on the surface of the pipe.

For the first time, the researchers were able to observe how gases inside the containment vessel separate: More air collects in the lower section, while more steam remains at the top. This finding is important for both reactor design and computer simulations. If this effect were not taken into account, the system would be less effective at dissipating heat.

Furthermore, the researchers tracked tiny particles in the gas and demonstrated that it moves very slowly near the pipe. In this area, therefore, condensation is determined not by larger currents, but primarily by diffusion: The water vapour reaches the surface of the pipe only slowly and condenses there. This means that the cooling process is highly dependent on local conditions.

PANDA – no “real” reactor, but realistic data

The experiments were carried out at the globally unique PANDA research facility. PANDA, a German acronym, stands for “passive residual heat removal and pressure relief.” The test facility extends over five floors, reaching a height of 25 metres. It consists of several containers, with a total volume of roughly 500 cubic metres, in which processes that occur in nuclear reactors can be realistically simulated.

PANDA contains no radioactive material. The steam, which reaches temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius and pressures as high as 10 bar, is generated by an electric heater with a power output of 1.5 megawatts. At more than 80 different points, gas mixtures from different areas of the facility can be extracted and analysed with a mass spectrometer.

PANDA’s forte is its flexibility. For small modular reactors, several dozen design concepts are currently under discussion. Many of them can be replicated in this experimental facility. There are roughly 1,450 sensors ready to provide valuable data. “Until now, researchers developing simulations couldn’t be certain that their calculations matched reality,” says Yago Rivera Durán. “We're closing the gap with PANDA.” This will make data crucial for safety assessments and the licencing of future reactors available for the first time.

Fully booked into the 2030s

Because PANDA is unique, it has drawn together research institutes, universities, and regulatory authorities from ten countries around the world. Currently, national projects are under way with Swissnuclear, the association of Swiss nuclear power plant operators, along with projects for the European Union and international collaborations with partners from Europe, America, and Asia.

The latest publication marks the launch of an international benchmarking initiative based on PANDA data. Twenty-five institutions are already participating in this global collaboration, using the experimental results to verify and improve their simulation methods. A follow-up project, PANDA-2, will build on this work and focus even more intensely on complex scenarios as well as the long-term autonomous operation of passive safety systems. This international project is currently expected to run until 2030, while national and EU projects are already planned well into the 2030s.

Text: Bernd Müller

Eighty valves enable the analysis of different gas mixtures: In the PANDA test facility at PSI, passive cooling systems for small modular reactors are being investigated under realistic conditions. This globally unique facility allows researchers to simulate processes as if in a real reactor – entirely without radioactivity.