A new study suggests that the belief that women and children are first to be saved when ships sink is largely a myth, the BBC reported.

Analysis of survivors from 18 maritime disasters shows that women have a distinct survival disadvantage, say researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden.

The report says captains and crew have a significantly higher survival rate.

The Titanic disaster, which occurred 100 years ago this week, was a rare exception because the captain threatened to shoot those who disobeyed, the reports concludes.

(China.org.cn April 13, 2012)

據英國廣播公司報道，最新研究顯示，輪船沉沒時先救婦女和兒童的準則，很大程度上只是傳說。

瑞典烏普薩拉大學的研究人員對18次海難的幸存者進行調查，結果發現，女性幸存者明顯少于男性。

該報告稱，船長和船員存活率顯然更高一些。

報告于最后提到，本周即沉船100周年的“泰坦尼克號”是為數不多的例外，當時，船長用槍支威脅乘客服從命令，才使婦女兒童優先逃生。