Women represent over half of U.S. drivers, yet they face alarming safety disparities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, women are 73% more likely to suffer serious injuries in a crash compared to men and 17% more likely to be killed. In response to these statistics, a bipartisan group of women senators is advocating for the inclusion of female crash test dummies in safety testing.

Senators Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska, and Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, are leading the charge. "Whether driving or as passengers, we want to make sure that women are safe when they get in a vehicle," Fischer stated. Duckworth emphasized the importance of safety for families, saying, "So there are all those moms and daughters and sisters and best friends come home."

The senators, along with Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, and Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, are sponsoring the "She Drives Act." This legislation aims to update federal crashworthiness tests by mandating the use of advanced test dummies that better represent the driving population. This includes a dummy designed to simulate a woman who is 4'11" tall and weighs 108 pounds.

Duckworth raised critical questions about current testing methods, asking, "Are women hitting the dashboard at a different spot than men? Are we hitting a particular item in a car more often and that's causing more injury?" She believes that using dummies that reflect the average size of women will help gather essential data to improve vehicle safety.

Currently, the most commonly used crash test dummies were developed in the 1990s and represent a 5'9" man weighing 171 pounds. The new THOR test dummy, which has been available since 2020, is already in use internationally but has not yet been adopted in the U.S. Its manufacturer, Humanetics, claims it has more than double the data-gathering capabilities of older models.

Chris O'Connor, CEO of Humanetics, stated that if the legislation passes, it could lead to long-term safety improvements. "Right now we can't even detect these injuries in a crash test dummy because the sensors aren't there, and so you can't design a safer vehicle without knowing," he explained.

However, some safety advocates, including the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, argue that resources might be better spent on developing virtual testing tools. These tools could help researchers understand the unique risks faced by different types of vehicle occupants.

The push for improved safety testing comes in the wake of tragic incidents. College freshman Amanda Kish, 18, was killed in a crash in October 2022 while driving home from Central Michigan University. Her mother, Francis Kish, expressed her heartbreak, saying, "My daughter should be here. I sent her to college and she never came home." She believes that if her daughter had been positioned differently in the vehicle, she might still be alive.

In response to the ongoing discussions about safety testing, the U.S. Department of Transportation acknowledged the need for new female crash test dummies. Secretary Sean Duffy stated that safety is his top priority and that he appreciates Congress's interest in resolving this issue. The Department is committed to accelerating the process to enhance safety for all Americans.

Currently, the THOR-05F female crash test dummy is not available for use. In 2023, the Biden Administration required design changes to address durability issues identified during testing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has initiated over 500 tests to validate the performance of the updated model. Once completed, they will propose a rule to add the THOR-05F for use by manufacturers.