Obese people, with a body mass index greater than 30, typically shave three years off their lives just by being overweight. Now, there's even more potential problems for obese people. And its in their cars.

A study of fatal accidents by the University of Buffalo suggests that the bigger you are, the more likely you'll die from injuries sustained in an accident.

In a severe accident, moderately obese people face a 21 percent greater risk of death and morbidly obese people are 56 percent more likely to die than those of lesser weight.

"The severity and patterns of crash injuries depend on a complex interaction of biomechanical factors, including deceleration velocity at impact, seat belt and air bag use, vehicle type and weight, and type of impact," says Dr. Dietrick Jehle, professor of emergency medicine at University of Buffalo School of Medicine.

Could this be a good time for automakers to start testing crashes with dummies that are larger in size?
"The rate of obesity is continuing to rise, so it is imperative that car designs are modified to protect the obese population, and that crash tests are done using a full range of dummy sizes," Jehle states.

via University of Buffalo via Automobile