The push for female crash test dummies

For decades, automotive safety standards have been based on crash test dummies modeled after the average male, neglecting the anatomical differences of female drivers and passengers.

The federal She DRIVES Act aims to rectify this disparity by mandating the use of advanced female crash test dummies that accurately represent women’s physiology in safety testing.

If enacted, it is estimated the She DRIVES Act could save 1,300 lives per year. Women are 73% more likely to suffer serious injuries and 17% more likely to be killed in head-on collisions, yet car safety standards are still largely designed for men.

We take a look at why women are more likely to suffer injuries and what will this Act mean for car makers if it passes.

Marc Lamber, an Attorney, joined us to discuss.

He has been a personal injury attorney for over 30 years and has repeatedly noticed that women suffer different injuries than men from car crashes. For example, clavicle injury or fracture that is caused by a seatbelt and pelvic injuries.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the organization that promotes the regulations and safety of drivers and will implement crash dummies that represent the 50th percentile of women. The design will include “their muscle mass, their differences in the pelvic girdle, all different areas of the body, which previously hadn’t been addressed at all for safety purposes,” Lamber said.

He said he thinks safety regulations for people who have smaller or larger bodies should be addressed as well after this Act works to get passed.