U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg responded to a New York Post article that questioned a funding request for female-sized crash test dummies with an observation and a correction.
“Not everything has to be a culture war," Buttigieg posted on Twitter April 21. "Early federal work on female crash dummies began under President Reagan. USDOT has been using them for 20 years. We test how crashes affect men, women, and children in order to improve vehicle safety & save lives."
The New York Post article, which called the funding request a "dum (sic) idea," reports that most crash test dummies are designed to represent male bodies, even though women are 73% more likely than men to be injured in a vehicle accident. The disparity in dummy sizes and shapes can result in less accurate safety standards for women, according to the report.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) website states current crash test dummies range from newborn infants to 171-lb. adult males. Advanced biomechanics and measurement technologies developed in recent years have helped improve crash dummy development, according to the agency. The diverse group of dummies helps NHTSA understand and measure the human body’s movement during a crash and how it m ight b eprotected by various vehicle safety features, according to the website.
"A lot of research goes into these dummies before they are put into use," NHTSA states on its website. "Each of us differs in size and weight, so each crash test dummy is designed differently too."
When Buttigieg presented his proposal to the House Appropriations Subcommittee and discussed his budget request, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) praised the Transportation Secretary for including the funding for the development of crash test dummies based on female body shapes, a move she called “critical," according to the New York Post.
"Our FY24 budget request includes an additional $20 million to support a number of research initiatives to improve vehicle accessibility and safety,” Buttigieg said in a follow-up tweet.
The proposed investment also includes funding for improvements to crash testing such as better simulating different types of crashes and improving testing for child safety seats, according to the DOT.
