Car-crash injury risks are higher for women but the government has only used male crash test dummies for years. That's finally changing | Fortune

"The U.S. government announced major design changes it wants to implement to make the female version of the vehicle crash test dummy more lifelike, potentially replacing a model used for decades that is based almost entirely around the body of a man despite higher injury risks for women. Department of Transportation officials will consider using the new dummy in the government's vehicle crash test five-star ratings once a final rule is adopted, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday night in a news release."

"The standard crash test dummy used in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration five-star vehicle testing was developed in 1978 and was modeled after a 5-foot-9 (175-centimeter), 171-pound (78-kilogram) man. The female dummy is smaller and has a rubber jacket to represent breasts. It's routinely tested in the passenger or back seat but seldom in the driver's seat, even though the majority of licensed drivers are women."

"Maria Weston Kuhn, a law student at New York University, started lobbying members of Congress to pass a law requiring the new female dummy after surviving a 2019 crash in Ireland in which her seat belt slid off her hips and ruptured her intestines. She welcomed Duffy's support but said she won't celebrate until NHTSA incorporates the new model into its testing - a step that has been delayed numerous times."

U.S. transportation officials plan major design changes to create a more lifelike female crash test dummy and may use it in five-star vehicle ratings after a final rule. Women face 73% higher likelihood of injury in head-on crashes and 17% higher likelihood of death in car crashes compared with men. The current standard dummy was developed in 1978 and modeled after a 5-foot-9, 171-pound man; the female version is smaller with a rubber jacket to represent breasts and is rarely used in the driver's seat. The proposed female dummy reflects anatomical differences and includes over 150 sensors. Some automakers and insurers remain skeptical, and implementation remains uncertain.

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