Women at risk due to lack of female crash test dummies

Current crash testing norms account for a dummy that best represents a 50th percentile male. It is reported that this puts women at risk as there is no testing to determine the effect of a crash on them, despite understanding the fact that female and male bodies react differently during crashes.

According to a media report, female drivers are 17 percent more likely to die than a male occupant in a car crash. The report states that women have 73 percent higher chances of getting injured than a male occupant. The standard crash test dummy weighs 77.56 kg and is 175.26 cm tall. This was standardized back in 1970s, which doesn't represent today's average male, let alone the opposite gender - today's male is on an average 11.79 kg heavier than the 1970s average male.

An average female is said to be 5.4 inches shorter and 11.79 kg lighter than the average male. This could result in women sitting closer to the steering wheel or wearing the seatbelt differently. There are biological differences as well including internals of bones, pelvis geometries and strength of certain muscles (the male neck is stronger).

Apart from females, the elderly are also more vulnerable in a car crash. It is well known that carmakers design vehicles to beat the crash tests. In 2012, when IIHS started testing cars from small overlap crash tests, the manufacturers strengthened only the driver's side, as that was the one being tested.