The US government has released a new crash test dummy design, a development advocates believe will help make cars safer for women. This comes as women are 73% more likely to be injured in a head-on crash and 17% more likely to be killed in a car crash than men.
The standard crash test dummy, developed in 1978 and modelled after a 5-foot-9, 171-pound man, has long been cited as a factor in this disparity. A smaller female dummy, featuring a rubber jacket to represent breasts, is routinely tested in passenger or rear seats but seldom in the driver’s position, despite women making up the majority of licensed drivers.
