Car safety is finally receiving a female perspective

America’s crash-test dummies are getting a female-focused makeover, and it’s more than any new outfit or hairstyle could accomplish.

Last week, the Transportation Department officially unveiled the THOR‑05F, a first-of-its-kind female crash-test dummy designed to show how vehicle accidents really affect women.

Why it’s a big deal

For nearly 50 years, car safety testing in the U.S. has relied almost entirely on a 5′9″, 170-lb male model, with the so-called “female” dummy just representing a scaled-down version of the male model—missing key differences in anatomy and injury risk.

• As a result, traditional dummies fail to capture how pelvis, spinal, and chest injuries differ between men and women, leaving half the population underprotected.
• Women are 73% more likely to be seriously injured and 17% more likely to be killed in car crashes than men.

Enter the THOR‑05F, the first crash-test dummy built from real female anatomy. It features a flexible spine to mimic natural slouching, 150 sensors to track detailed biomechanical responses, and realistic pelvic and chest geometry. This allows engineers to see how impacts affect women in ways the old dummies never could.

Looking ahead…Recent legislation introduced in Congress seeks to establish new requirements that THOR‑05F dummies be adopted by federal car safety tests, as well as the auto industry nationwide.