US unveils 'more durable, accurate' female crash-test dummy

When a woman gets behind the wheel of a vehicle today, she is protected by safety features — from seat belts to air bags — that have largely been designed to protect the average man from about 50 years ago.

- ADEEL HASSAN

The world's first female crash-test dummy, called SET 50F, was unveiled in Linkoping, Sweden, in August 2023.

(AFP)

But female drivers in the United States are 73% more likely than male drivers to be severely injured in vehicle crashes, and they are 17% more likely to die, according to government data.

Those higher risks pushed the federal Transportation Department to approve a new female crash dummy, which was announced Thursday. Known as the THOR-05F, it is "more durable, accurate and lifelike," according to the government.

"Better understanding the unique ways in which women are impacted differently in crashes than men is essential to reducing traffic fatalities," said Jonathan Morrison, administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Once a final rule is adopted, this female model could replace what is known as the Hybrid III, which has been used for decades in the government's vehicle crash test five-star ratings project.

The Hybrid III is based on the proportions of the average American man from the 1970s, which was about 5 feet 9 inches and 170 pounds.

Much of the safety disparity between men and women can be linked to "a vehicle's design and technology," according to a 2005 government report, though the fatality rate for women has been rapidly dropping in newer cars.