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The new THOR-05F marks a milestone: for the first time, a crash-test dummy accurately reflects the female anatomy. Officials argue that decades of safety testing based on male-bodied models left women more vulnerable to severe injuries. The announcement aligns with the administration’s broader push to reintroduce biological sex classifications in medical and safety policy.

The United States has just taken a historic step in road-safety research. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy introduced the nation’s first advanced female crash-test dummy, the THOR-05F, a device engineered specifically to replicate the anatomy and biomechanical responses of women in real crash scenarios. The announcement, made on November 20 in Washington, D.C., marks a turning point after decades of automotive safety standards built almost entirely around the male body.

The rollout represents a technical breakthrough—but also ignites a broader debate: How do biological differences between men and women affect survival and injury risk in a collision?

A Long-Awaited Innovation: Why a Real Female Dummy Was Necessary

For years, U.S. crash tests relied on the Hybrid III, a dummy modeled after an “average male” body. The so-called “female version” used in some tests was merely a scaled-down version of the male model, not an anatomically accurate representation of an adult woman.

This created a profound safety gap. Vehicles were optimized primarily to protect male bodies, leaving women at higher risk. Multiple studies found that women are 17% to 73% more likely to be seriously injured or killed in comparable crashes—even when wearing seatbelts and sitting in the front seat.

The cause is not ideological—it’s biomechanical:

  • Women generally have lower thoracic stiffness, changing how frontal-impact forces travel through the body.

  • Female pelvis and hip structures differ significantly from male anatomy, altering responses to deceleration.

  • Women have, on average, a thinner and more flexible neck, increasing vulnerability to whiplash.

  • Differences in average height affect alignment with seatbelts, airbags, and head restraints.

Until now, none of these factors were accurately measured in official crash tests.

The THOR-05F finally changes that.

THOR-05F: Sensors, Precision, and a Design Based on Real Female Bodies

The new dummy features more than 150 advanced sensors—triple the number found in the Hybrid III. Its design includes novel instrumentation for measuring injury risk to the brain, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, and lower limbs with unprecedented accuracy.

According to the Department of Transportation, the THOR-05F is more durable, more precise, and more “human,” enabling data collection that was impossible until now. Federal officials say it will define the next generation of U.S. vehicle-safety standards and could correct decades of inequities embedded in automotive design.

NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison called the device a “long-overdue step” toward incorporating realistic female biomechanics into the federal safety-rating system and future regulations.

A Policy Bridging Science, Safety, and Ideology

The announcement carries political weight as well. Secretary Duffy emphasized that the Trump administration seeks to “restore biological truth” in federal policymaking, arguing that acknowledging male-female anatomical differences is essential for protecting lives.

“The Left doesn’t want to hear it, but the science is clear: there are only two sexes. And that biological fact matters when we design cars,” Duffy said during the presentation.

Beyond rhetoric, the policy goal is straightforward: integrate real biological differences into automotive engineering to reduce preventable deaths and severe injuries among women—a need supported by years of alarming crash statistics.

Why Women Are Injured Differently: The Science Behind the Problem

The THOR-05F was developed to address systemic flaws that have put women at disproportionate risk. Key biomechanical differences include:

1. Body Mass and Stature

Lower average mass and height change how the body moves during rapid deceleration.

2. Thoracic Rigidity

Female ribcages respond differently to frontal loads, altering the risk of fractures and internal injuries.

3. Pelvic and Hip Morphology

Distinct pelvic geometry affects how seatbelt forces transfer across the torso.

4. Neck Strength

Women are more prone to whiplash because of differences in cervical musculature and vertebral structure.

5. Seating Position

Women often sit closer to the steering wheel, increasing exposure to airbag forces.

For the first time, a crash-test dummy is capable of modeling all these factors accurately.

What Comes Next: Impact on the Automotive Industry

With NHTSA preparing to publish its final rule and release formal specifications, automakers will soon be required to incorporate the THOR-05F in internal crash-test programs. Once officially adopted, the dummy is expected to become part of the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and integrated into federal safety standards.

This shift could reshape the design of airbags, seatbelts, seating systems, structural reinforcements, head restraints, and crash-injury prevention technologies.

The automotive industry recognizes the significance: after decades of overlooking female risk factors, women’s safety is on the verge of becoming a regulatory benchmark.

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Images courtesy of the Department of Transportation

U.S. Unveils 1st Female Crash-Test Dummy, Sparking Debate: Are Accidents Different for Men and Women?

The new THOR-05F marks a milestone: for the first time, a crash-test dummy accurately reflects the female anatomy. Officials argue that decades of safety testing based on male-bodied models left women more vulnerable to severe injuries. The announcement aligns with the administration’s broader push to reintroduce biological sex classifications in medical and safety policy.

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