Sign Convention for Vehicle Crash Testing

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Crash Testing ◽  
Vehicle Crash ◽  
Sign Convention

Motor Vehicle Crash Testing Regulations for More Inclusive Populations

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (04) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Frye ◽  
Daphne Ko ◽  
Emilee Kotnik
Keyword(s):  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Motor Vehicle Crash ◽  
Vehicle Safety ◽  
Crash Test ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Highway Traffic ◽  
National Highway Traffic Safety ◽  
Crash Testing ◽  
Vehicle Crash ◽  
Safety Outcomes

There is a stark disparity in motor vehicle crash deaths and injuries between male and female drivers. Female drivers are 13% more likely to be killed than their male counterparts in similar motor accidents. However, vehicle safety test practices do not account for diverse body proportions when assessing safety outcomes. Vehicle crash testing standards only require testing of two variations of adult-sized crash test dummies: a 50th percentile male and a 5th percentile female. Automotive companies are not required to test safety outcomes in crash test model’s representative of average female proportions or of non-average body sizes and physiological compositions. Current crash test standards are regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under the US Department of Transportation. This memo proposes three actions for the NHTSA and the Department of Transportation to address disparities in vehicle safety outcomes: 1) update safety standard requirements to include a 50th percentile female crash test dummy, 2) implement a federal tax incentive program for companies to include a greater diversity of vehicle occupant models, and 3) allocate funds for research and development of virtual crash testing models. These proposed initiatives seek to raise the minimum safety requirements and prioritize wider representation of vehicle occupants to improve parity in vehicle safety outcomes.

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