Crash-test dummies are undergoing a makeover to reflect the thicker waistlines and larger rear ends of Americans.
“Studies show that obese drivers are 78 percent more likely to die in a car crash,” said Chris O' Connor, CEO of Humanetics, the only U.S. producer of the dummies.
O’Conner said crash-test dummies are now typically modeled after a person who weighs about 167 pounds with a healthy body mass index. His company is designing new dummies based on the measurements of a 270-pound person with a BMI of 35, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other health groups, consider morbidly obese.
O’Conner said seat belts, air bags and other safety features are designed for thinner people and don’t fit heavier people the same way.
“Typically you want someone in a very tight position with their rear against the back of the seat and the seat belt tight to the pelvis,” O’Conner explained. “An obese person has more mass around midsection and a larger rear which pushes them out of position. They sit further forward and the belt does not grasp the pelvis as easily.”
Studies indicate that such drivers are indeed at greater risk in car crashes. In 2010, researchers from University at Buffalo and Erie County Medical Center analyzed more than 150,000 car crashes in the United States and found that drivers considered moderately obese had a 21 percent increased risk of death. Morbidly obese drivers were 56 percent more likely to die in a crash, the study found.
Dr. Mark Reiter, the president of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine, said he was unaware of significant differences in injury patterns between thin and fat drivers. But he did say obese victims of car crashes can be difficult to treat.
Crash Test Dummies Gain Weight to Save Lives 
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