Everything’s bigger in America - Including our crash test dummies! Boy that’s depressing.
Hey guys, Tara here for Dnews - and with the rising rates of obesity here in America, an
interesting topic has come to light - crash test dummies.
Recent research from the University of California found that obese drivers are 78% more likely
to die in a car crash. And with over two-thirds of our population now classified as either
obese or overweight - it makes sense that our crash test dummies should reflect that
growing portion of the population.
Well, buckle your seatbelts - because soon enough, they will. A company called Humanetics
is currently developing an obese crash test dummy that weighs 273 pounds - compared to
the current standard of 167 pounds.
According to the company’s CEO, Chris O’Connor, seat belts, air bags and other safety features
have all been designed so that your rear sits flush against the back of the seat, and the
seat belt is tight against your pelvis.
Obese people, who have larger rears and more mass around their midsections, tend to sit
further forward, and the seat belts don’t grasp around their pelvises as easily.
So the new dummies, which were modeled after real human cadavers, will accurately reflect
not just the weight, but the weight distribution, of the standard obese American. They’ll
also be slightly taller, since the population has grown slightly since the original crash
test dummies were created in the 80s.
The new dummies cost about half a million dollars EACH, which is on par with the current
models - but they also last forever. Not to mention, the potential lives saved - which
you can’t really put a price on.
Unsurprisingly, obese citizens aren’t the only other model in development. Currently,
there are models for teenagers and infants, which are already on the market. But Humanetics
is also creating a line to reflect the aging, elderly population, which will be released
in 2015 - along with the obese models.
They’re also looking at lines designed specifically for women. Many studies claim that female
drivers have a much higher fatality rate than male drivers. Which explains why one of the
biggest research clinics at General Motors, is specifically geared for petite women. Because
they sit much closer to the steering wheel, than the rest of the population.
What do you guys think about this? I know it’s super depressing, but until we solve
the obesity crisis, these problems are only gonna get bigger. Pun NOT intended. You can
let us know YOUR thoughts in the comments down below. And as always, thank you guys
for watching!