America is finally fixing a long ignored problem in car safety. The US has introduced its first advanced female crash test dummy. Safety experts have been asking for this for decades. Until now almost all crash tests used male dummies or tiny versions of them. None of those models truly represented a woman’s body.
This new dummy is different. It is made from scratch to match real female anatomy. It is not just a shrunken male figure. This is surprising for many people because women make up half of all drivers. Yet in most safety tests the male dummy has been the main focus. In some cases the smaller dummy was only used in the passenger seat. The driver spot was always given to the male model.
This gap in testing has had serious effects. Studies show that women are much more likely to be injured in the same crash compared to men. Women are also more likely to die in front seat collisions. This shows how badly the system needed an update.
The new dummy is called THOR zero five F. It represents the size and shape of a small adult woman. It has advanced sensors that can track injury in far more detail than older dummies. It can measure soft tissue damage chest movement and head rotation in a way that is closer to how real women’s bodies move during a crash.
For car makers this dummy is not optional. It will be added to the official federal crash test system. This means that future cars must protect both male and female bodies. Car companies will have to show that airbags seatbelts seats and crumple zones work for a wider range of people not just the average slim man used for testing in the past.
The process will take time. Even though the dummy was revealed this week tests that include it will likely begin around twenty twenty seven. After that its use will eventually become required for all automakers.
Some companies might complain about extra testing costs or more complex designs. But the result is worth it. Millions of women will finally get safer cars built with them in mind.
