Collision Division: Specifications for updated female crash dummy released

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(InvestigateTV) — Just as an expected 73 million people prepare to hit the road for holiday travel, federal officials are marking a milestone in the effort to make vehicles safer.

The U.S. Department of Transportation released an update Thursday on the progress of the next generation of crash test dummies and published official technical specifications for those that represent female biology.

The “THOR-05F,” short for “Test Device for Human Occupant Restraint” representing a 4’11″ female body weighing just over 100 pounds, has existed for several years, but the release of the specifications finalized over this past summer will finally allow vehicle manufacturers to begin using them.

“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,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a press release.

This graphic details the differences between the female crash test dummy currently in use and... — This graphic details the differences between the female crash test dummy currently in use and the THOR-05F.(Source: NHTSA)

Federal crash tests to evaluate vehicle safety have used the same iteration of human analogs or “dummies” for more than 40 years, with experts saying those currently used to evaluate safety for female bodies — essentially just a scaled-down version of a “male” dummy — are particularly obsolete.

InvestigateTV found the practice, along with the limited placement of female dummies in federal crash tests, mean vehicle safety ratings have reduced relevance for female bodies, despite federal crash data showing women are significantly more likely to be seriously injured or killed in a collision.

“Better understanding the unique ways in which women are impacted differently in crashes than men is essential to reducing traffic fatalities,” National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Jonathan Morrison said in the release. “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.”

While releasing the specifications marks the end of one chapter for an updated female crash test dummy, there is still a long road ahead.

The specifications will have to be formalized through the federal rulemaking process, and NHTSA will then need to pursue further changes to federal rules regarding its crash tests to add the dummy to its New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) — something that is still in progress for the updated male crash test dummy, which began moving through federal rulemaking in earnest back in 2023.

Chris O’Conner, president and CEO of Humanetics, one of the manufacturers of the THOR-05F, said the company supports the actions to advance the technology and hopes Transportation officials will continue with urgency.

“Secretary Sean Duffy’s statement concerning the need for immediate action to improve vehicle safety that will protect women, men, and all American families shows the importance of this issue‚” O’Conner said in a statement to InvestigateTV.

“Action is needed as soon as possible. The sooner these devices get into regulation and U.S. NCAP, the more lives will be saved and the more injuries will be prevented.”