Why Are Women More Likely to Fall than Men?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has researched many facets of slips, trips, and falls and has determined that 60% of the victims of slip, trip, and fall accidents are women.  Most of these falls occur in retail establishments.

Footwear can contribute to slips, trips, and falls

Footwear is a large component of why women are more likely to slip, trip, and fall. High-heeled shoes have less surface area in contact with the floor. As a result, they may provide less stability. Leather and other non-rubberized soles can also provide less traction. This may increase the risk of slips, trips, and falls.

Women shop more than men.

The cliches about women and shopping are nearly timeless; however, women falling is part of a multi-billion-dollar slip, trip, and fall epidemic and is not a joke.  Women are more likely than men to do the shopping, especially grocery shopping.  Statistically speaking, the more time you spend in a store, the more likely that you will be involved in a slip, trip, and fall accident.

Big box stores

Thirty years ago, the size of the average grocery store ranged between 10,000 and 15,000 square feet. With the boom of big box stores, the average super-sized grocery store is now in the 100,000 square foot range.  That means more steps to reach the same items, as well as more time spent in stores.  That means the risk of falling is increased as well.

What can you do?

There’s only so much people can control; however, wearing high-traction footwear is the best way for women to reduce their chances of slipping, tripping, and falling while shopping, other than getting their husbands to chip in on the shopping to spread more of the risk around.