For over 40 years researchers have been using the same design for the humble crash test dummy. But things have changed, people have evolved - and mostly around the gut, says manufacturer Humanetics who have created two new 'modern' dummies.
The dummies have been developed to determine injuries as a result of an accident involving a man weighing more than 120kg and an overweight woman in her 70s.
Humanetics partnered with the University of Michigan International Centre for Automotive Medicine as part of the project.
Weight averages were selected from 6000 computerised scans included in a national database.
University of Michigan professor of surgery Stewart Wang said, “The typical patient today is overweight or obese - they're the rule rather than the exception. You can't talk about injuries without talking about the person."
One of the main injuries to obese drivers comes as a result of 'submarining'. This is where a passenger slides under the seatbelt during a crash and becomes stuck underneath the dash.
However, whether or not these new dummies are adopted as part of the testing process will depend on demand from manufacturers and auto safety regulators.