Whilst researching crash test dummies, Criado Perez found that the model most commonly used by the automotive industry was based around the 50th percentile male – meaning that it is too heavy, too tall and has the wrong muscle distribution in order to provide any proper information on how crashes affect female drivers and passengers.

She says: "As a result, if they are involved in a car crash, women are more likely to be injured – 47 per cent more likely to be seriously injured and 17 per cent more likely to die.

"A female dummy has been designed, but it’s basically just a scaled-down male version and it’s not even used in the vast majority of regulatory tests anyway. In the EU, the only test done with the female dummy is in the passenger seat, so there’s just not any data on whether or not female drivers are safe."

Criado Perez also highlights major issues with car design affecting pregnant women, such as the fact that 62 per cent of third-trimester mothers are not able to fit into standard seat belts.