Like drivers, crash-test dummies are becoming obese

Crash-test dummies are used to test the safety of vehicles, but what happens when they no longer reflect bodies of the general public?

The world's leading crash-test dummy producer, Humanetics, has developed a new, obese human stand-in that weighs 273 pounds with a Body Mass Index of 35.

"The fact is that if you're obese then you're 78% more likely to be killed in a car crash," said Chris O'Connor, CEO of Humanetics, citing the statistic from the University of California-Berkeley's Safe Transportation and Research Education Center.

"We're still testing with a dummy that was created in the '80s that weighs 170 pounds. It's not representative of the population, and obviously it's a much different load on the system," O'Connor said.

Crash-test dummies are used in tests that simulate the response to impacts, accelerations, deflections, forces and movements generated during a crash.

The new dummies cost $500,000, a price comparable to current new models, and last forever. They will help automakers design safer seats and restraints to accommodate the American public's growing waistlines, according to O'Connor.

So how different are the new dummies?

It's not just the weight change, but also how the weight is distributed that makes the new dummies representative of obese drivers and passengers. "The dummy is a little taller because the population is now taller — but to be frank, it's all in the butt, thighs and midsection because that's where the weight gain has occurred," O'Connor says.

One dummy has been created and directly tested against a representative human cadaver at the University of Virginia. The line is expected for sale in 2015.

Entering the market

The move toward creating bigger dummies seems intuitive, but will crash testers use it?

"It's not clear that it would, in our particular program, help us learn anything more about safety performance of vehicles," said Russ Rader, spokesman for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a leading non-profit scientific and educational organization based in Arlington, Va., that tests vehicles and releases an annual list of Top Safety Picks.

Rader says the non-profit currently uses "a whole family" of Humanetics dummies in its testing, and may consider integrating the newest obese dummies in the future. He emphasizes that the crucial thing to look for during crash tests is the structural performance of the vehicle.

"We follow global standards set by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)," said Jennie Ecclestone, the manager of safety communications at General Motors. The company uses a dummy that represents a male in the 95th percentile, which is not something that is federally required.

"Our largest dummy is 233 pounds, and while that may not seem to encompass everyone, our testing is quite conservative and done in a way that can cover a larger audience than the weight number may suggest," Ecclestone said.

"Everyone wants to wait until the government says it's mandated," O'Connor said. "How can we not care about the safety of all people? I think we need to be more proactive."

Dummy diversity

Dummies to reflect the growing numbers of obese people are not the only changes being made to the standard suite of crash test dummies. O'Connor said that in 2015, Humanetics will also release a line for the elderly.

"There are other demographics we're looking at, too. Women have a higher fatality rate, and both elderly and obese women are a concern," said O'Connor.

Ecclestone says one of the biggest clinics GM is running now is for petite women, because "a lot of times petite drivers are going to push themselves a lot closer to the steering wheel."

Other dummy models on the market currently include those modeling teenagers and infants.

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