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Woman Helps Lead Charge to Change Crash Test Dummy Design

Maria Weston Kuhn, injured in a 2019 head-on car crash in Ireland, now leads advocacy for updated crash test dummies reflecting female anatomy.
The push follows concerns that current dummies, modeled after 1970s average men, underestimate injury risks for women who face 73% more injuries in frontal crashes.
Kuhn founded Drive US Forward to raise awareness and back the bipartisan She Drives Act, which would require NHTSA to include advanced female dummies like the THOR 5F in safety tests.
NHTSA tests found Humanetics' THOR dummies outperform the older Hybrid III but American automakers and some critics question new models' cost, sensor count, and predictive accuracy.
Despite bipartisan support and agency endorsements, regulatory updates have been slow, suggesting continued challenges in implementing more inclusive crash safety standards.

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WTAE

+25 Reposted by 25 other sources

Center

Woman helps lead charge to change crash test dummy design

Women are 73% more likely to be injured in a frontal crash, yet the dummy used in vehicle tests by the NHTSA is modeled almost entirely off the body of a man.

16 hours ago·Pittsburgh, United States

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Helena Independent Record

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Center

Crash test dummies often leave out women's needs

Maria Weston Kuhn had one lingering question about the car crash that forced her to have emergency surgery during a vacation in Ireland: Why did she and her mother sustain serious injuries while her father and brother, who sat in…

1 day ago·Helena, United States

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