The research study done at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and at Erie Medical Center says that the obese drivers at a higher risk of death in a road accident. It is relatively lesser for the drivers who are normal or underweight.

A driver who is severely obese faces 56% higher chances of mortality in a fatal crash whereas the number reduces to 21% for a moderately obese driver.

The study was conducted taking the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the drivers as the prime variable. The drivers were divided into six categories as per their BMI levels. The categories were underweight, normal weight, overweight, slightly obese, moderately obese and morbidly obese.

Dietrich Jehle, MD, under whose supervision the study was conducted, also stresses on the fact that when the manufacturers test the vehicles, the dummies which they use represent the normal weighing people. But the pattern and velocity of reaction during an accident is totally different in obese persons.

This indicates that body mass plays prime role in how the human bodies react during the accidents. This also indicates that if a slight change is made in testing the vehicles, keeping in mind that number of people are a prey of obesity these days, then many deaths due to road accident can be prevented.

Jehle also said, "Extending the range of adjustable seats would be helpful, as well as encouraging moderately and morbidly obese individuals to buy larger vehicles with more space between the seat and the steering column.”