The transportation department has unveiled a first crash test dummy in the US modeled specifically on female anatomy, a move officials say is meant to close decades of safety gaps in vehicle testing.
Sean Duffy, the US transportation secretary, unveiled the THOR-05F, an advanced female design for a crash-test dummy with upgraded technical specifications. According to the transportation department, the dummy will be incorporated into federal vehicle crash testing once a final rule is published.
Although men make up the majority of annual car-crash victims, women are more likely to die in collisions of comparable severity. Women are also 73% more likely than men to sustain serious injuries in a crash, according to studies. In addition, they face a higher risk of specific trauma, including pelvis and liver injuries.
Despite the risks women face, the dummy used in the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s five-star crash tests is still a model designed in 1978: the Hybrid III, based on a 5ft 9in, 171lb man.
Compared with the Hybrid III, the THOR-05F, which is described as more “durable, accurate and lifelike”, is equipped with over 150 sensors and can gather three times as many injury measurements as current dummies. It also represents a significant shift from the long-used Hybrid III, which has been the standard in crash testing for years.
While the Hybrid III dummy assesses risk of skull fracture only, the Thor-05F can assess risk of skull fracture, brain injury and facial fractures. Additionally, with the Hybrid III only being able to bend in one direction – forward and backward, the Thor-05F can bend forward and backward, side-to-side and twist.
Other differences include the spine area; while the Hybrid III has a rigid spine, the Thor-05F has a more life-like flexibility, allowing the dummy to sit slouched or erect and can measure forces in the lower spine. Additionally, unlike the Hybrid III which has no abdominal or pelvis sensors, the THOR-05F is able to measure pressure to assess risk to internal organs, as well as pelvis and hip forces from seatbelt and vehicle contact. Moreover, while the Hybrid III has no arm sensors, the new dummy is able to measure forces in upper and lower arms.
“Its shape and response in a crash are based on female bodies, which will ultimately enable better assessment of brain, thorax, abdominal, pelvic and lower leg injury risk for small female occupants,” the transportation department said.
Hailing the new dummy, Duffy said: “After years of delays, our team has worked hard over the last eight months to finalize the details for this new, state of the art female crash test dummy. Under the leadership of President Trump, this department will continue to put the safety of American families – including women – first.”
Similarly, the National Highway Traffic Safety administrator, Jonathan Morrison, said: “This is a long overdue step toward the full adoption of this new dummy for use in our safety ratings and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.”
Additionally, the US senators Deb Fischer of Nebraska and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois – both co-sponsors of the She Drives Act, which seeks to improve vehicle safety testing – welcomed the announcement.
“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,” Fischer said, with Duckworth adding: “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.”
Thursday’s unveiling follows other countries that have adopted improved, female-specific crash test dummies over the years including Australia and Sweden.
Source: US Politics - theguardian.com
