For the first time, U.S. automakers will soon be required to test vehicle safety using crash-test dummies that actually represent the size and physiology of American women — a move officials say is long overdue.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Thursday introduced the THOR-05F, an advanced female crash-test dummy designed to address the longstanding disparity in vehicle safety outcomes between men and women.
Federal data show women face significantly higher injury and fatality rates in similar crashes.
Studies indicate women are 73% more likely to suffer serious injuries in head-on collisions and 17% more likely to die as drivers or front-seat passengers compared with men.
Despite decades of evidence, it has taken the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nearly 45 years to approve a dummy built around the anatomy of an average adult woman, even though advanced models like the THOR-05F have been available for years.
"While I'm the first to acknowledge that this took far longer than anyone would like, it was very important to make sure that we got this right," NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison said Thursday in Washington, announcing newly released design specifications for the updated female dummy.
Morrison noted that automakers can now begin purchasing the THOR-05F and conducting their own tests ahead of NHTSA's formal adoption into federal safety ratings and rulemaking.
According to DOT officials, the new technical standards — the first significant update since the 1980s — will allow manufacturers to begin designing future vehicles with improved protections for female occupants. Full regulatory implementation is expected to come in 2027 or 2028.
The announcement, shared first with NBC News, included pointed criticism of prior administrations for what Duffy called "years of delays."
"Under the leadership of President Trump, this Department will continue to put the safety of American families — including women — first," Duffy stated.
NBC previously viewed the THOR-05F at Humanetics, the Michigan-based company that manufactures crash-test dummies. Outfitted with over 150 sensors, the model provides more precise data across the body — including the legs, where female drivers face nearly an 80% higher risk of injury compared with men.
The dummy currently used in federal tests, the Hybrid III "female," was created in the 1970s and represents only the smallest 5% of women, standing 4'11" and weighing just 108 pounds. Humanetics CEO Chris O'Connor told NBC earlier this year that the outdated model has distorted vehicle design for decades.
"If you look back in history, the crash test dummy was designed around a male, and that male became the baseline," O'Connor said, adding that vehicles are being designed "around a male."
He noted that the U.S. needs "a clear timeline and some urgency" so that the auto industry has a set date to prepare for the introduction of the female crash-test dummy and "avoid further delay to saving lives."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.