WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. regulators took a significant step toward closing long-criticized safety gaps in vehicle design on November 20, endorsing a new crash test dummy that more closely reflects the anatomy and injury risks of women — a group disproportionately harmed in traffic collisions.
The Department of Transportation said the dummy could be incorporated into the government's five-star vehicle crash-test ratings after it finalizes new safety rules. Advocates have long argued that outdated test models leave female drivers and passengers less protected.
Research shows that women are 73 percent more likely to be injured in a head-on collision and 17 percent more likely to die in a crash than men.
For decades, the standard dummy used in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) testing has been based on a 5-foot-9, 171-pound man, a model developed in 1978. The existing "female" dummy is merely a scaled-down version with a rubber jacket to represent breasts. It is typically placed in passenger or rear seats, even though women make up the majority of licensed drivers in the U.S.
The new female dummy improves on that approach by reflecting key anatomical differences, including variations in the neck, collarbone, pelvis, and legs, the department said. It contains more than 150 sensors to capture detailed data about how female bodies respond to crash forces.
Some U.S. automakers have pushed back, arguing that the new design may overstate injury risks and diminish the perceived value of existing safety features such as airbags and seat belts.
Progress toward updating federal crash-test standards has been slow, despite bipartisan political support. Transportation secretaries across the last two presidential administrations have endorsed modernizing the rules, but regulatory updates have lagged.
U.S. Senators Deb Fischer, a Nebraska Republican, and Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, welcomed the Transportation Department's announcement.
"Any progress here is good because there's simply no good reason why women are more likely to be injured or die in car crashes," Duckworth said.
Fischer, who introduced the She Drives Act to require the use of the most advanced testing devices, including a female dummy, said the move is overdue.
"It's far past time to make these testing standards permanent, which will help save thousands of lives and make America's roads safer for all drivers," she said.
The Department of Transportation said manufacturers will now have access to the new dummy's specifications, allowing automakers and suppliers to begin building units and integrating them into vehicle tests.
Safety advocates hope the updated model will push the auto industry to consider a broader range of body types when designing cars and ultimately reduce the gender disparity in crash outcomes.
