A New Crash Test Dummy That Better Resembles Women Gets Key Government Endorsement

The World’s first female crash test dummy called SET 50F, designed by a Swedish engineer to help make sure women are better protected in cars, is prepared to be tested in the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute in Linkoping, 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Stockholm, on August 30, 2023. Tested in Sweden since late 2022, the female prototype made of rubber, metal and plastic is fitted with 24 sensors, measures 162 cm (5 feet 3 inches) and weighs 62 kilos (137 pounds). It is 15 cm and 15 kg fewer than the male crash test dummy. Developed thanks to subsidies from the European Commission, the female crash test dummy is already being used by some carmakers, including Volvo in Sweden, but there are no international regulations requiring manufacturers to do so. (Photo by Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP) / TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Viken KANTARCI (Photo by JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. government has released a new crash test dummy design that advocates believe will help make cars safer for women. The Department of Transportation says it will consider using the dummy in the government’s five-star safety ratings once a final rule is adopted. Women are 73% more likely than men to be injured in a head-on crash, and 17% more likely than men to be killed in a car crash. The existing female dummy is a smaller version of the male model. It’s routinely tested in the passenger seat or the back seat but seldom in the driver’s seat, even though the majority of licensed drivers are women.