Obese Crash Test Dummies Created To Keep Up With Growing Number Of Overweight Drivers, Help Save Lives
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Crash test dummies are packing on the pounds.
In order to better accommodate the growing number of overweight drivers, Humanetics, the world's leading maker of crash test dummies, is testing an obese model of its dummies, according to a report on CNN.com.
"Obese people are 78 percent more likely to die in a crash," says Humanetics CEO Chris O' Connor. "The reason is the way we get fat. We get fat in our middle range. And we get out of position in a typical seat."
One dummy prototype weighs 273 pounds with a body mass index of 35.
The company is also rolling out their next generation THOR, which stands for Test Device For Human Occupant Restraint.
"The way the industry is going is more towards computational modelling. THOR is the future of dummy development, but auto manufacturers are looking to develop virtual scenarios they can run on computers...which allow them to look at more specific anatomy," Dr. Joel Stitzel, director of the Center for Injury Biomechanics, told CNN.
The newest crash test dummies can have over 130 channels of information.
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