Jonobie

Women are 73% more likely to be severely injured in a car crash, and 17% more likely to die than men. All because car companies have been resisting testing for women since forever. I’m not surprised on several levels. As I’ve gotten older and have larger breasts, seatbelts basically are impossible to put at the right spot on me anymore. And that’s just one example.

Apparently there’s a current She Drives act in the senate that’s aimed at fixing this, which could use support.

NYT gift article about the history; https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/opinion/car-safety-women-crash-dummies.html?unlocked_article_code=1.VlA.E5Pw.EZIR7otGFPSa&smid=nytcore-ios-share

She Drives act: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/opinion/car-safety-women-crash-dummies.html?unlocked_article_code=1.VlA.E5Pw.EZIR7otGFPSa&smid=nytcore-ios-share

Opinion | The Deadly Gender Gap in Car Safety

For over half a century, car safety standards have left women’s lives in the rearview.

The New York Times
1:57pmWeb
Show threadEllenIn Edmonton11h ago
@jonobie
Very interesting, and I rarely watch videos! Driving isn't the only area of scientific research that is male-focussed, but I believe that there's been a bit of movement in other areas of medical research since the last century.
Show threadGina10h ago
@jonobie relatable. Unless adjustable, every cars seat belt basically rests on my neck instead of my chest. It's painfully obvious that we, 50% of the population, weren't taken into account by most car manufacturers.
Show threadJonobie10h ago

@Gina Yep - when I had a less curvy body, I definitely fit better. Now seat belts rest on my neck too and cut into the side.

I have a small adjuster on my car, though I'm not clear on whether that's actually helpful or harmful. (There's precious little info about even that!) But it at least gets the belt back down to my chest area. Also added padding for when it creeps back up to my neck. But of course those aren't in all the other cars I ride in.

It's so fucking uncomfortable.

Show threadlizzzzard9h ago

@jonobie according to a German article, the US use three models: average man, 5th percentile smallest and lightest, and 5th percentile heaviest and largest (although by 1970ies standards). That's where the small dummy mentioned in the video comes from.

The EU apparently doesn't even have those. (!) The article cites experts that say height and weight matter much more than anatomical differences.

They do, however, point out that we need *old* dummies! Old bones break more easily - and that could be modeled by the Thor dummy generation, so there's yet another reason to mandate their use.

https://www.br.de/nachrichten/wissen/gender-safety-gap-braucht-es-mehr-weibliche-crashtest-dummys,V8GWNfq

Braucht es mehr "weibliche" Crashtest-Dummys?

Seit Jahrzehnten testen Zulassungsbehörden Autos mit Dummys. Dabei gehen sie von einem 1,75 Meter großen Fahrer aus, der 78 Kilo wiegt. Der Anatomie von Frauen entspricht das kaum. Können "weibliche" Puppen helfen, eine Sicherheitslücke zu schließen?

BR24
Show threadEggs now in different baskets.5h ago

@lizzard @jonobie My PIC is taller than me, with a shorter torso and shorter arms but longer legs.

They have to sit bolt upright in our cars as otherwise they cannot reach the steering wheel comfortably when the seat is far enough back for their legs to be comfortable.

Given that women of this size and these proportions are normal in the countries I have lived in it is not just physiologically accurate female crash test dummies that are needed but also ones in several sizes and proportions.