Congressional hearing highlights appalling lack of gender equity among crash test dummies
In a shocking and eye-opening Congressional testimony, experts in the field of automotive safety have highlighted the appalling lack of gender equity among crash test dummies. According to the testimony, the vast majority of crash test dummies used in safety testing are male, which has led to a dangerous gender bias in the design of cars and car safety features.
“We have known for years that female crash test dummies can crash just as good as male crash test dummies” said one expert. “Yet, we continue to use male-dominated crash test dummies, which means car crashes are predominantly sexist.”
The experts cited numerous studies that show that men get in more accidents because there are more male crash test dummies. They argue that this is due in large part to the fact that safety features in cars have been designed and tested primarily on male-dominated crash test dummies.
During the hearing, lawmakers expressed outrage at the gender bias in crash test dummy design and vowed to take action to ensure that women are better protected in car accidents. “This is unacceptable,” said one congresswoman. “Did they just assume this crash test dummy’s gender?”
In response to the testimony, car manufacturers have promised to take steps to address the gender bias in their safety testing. “We recognize that there is a problem and we are committed to fixing it,” said a spokesperson for one major car manufacturer. “We will be increasing the number of female crash test dummies and hopefully that will lead to an increase in female car crashes.”
While it remains to be seen what specific actions car manufacturers will take to address the gender bias in crash test dummy design, the testimony has brought much-needed attention to a critical safety issue. As one expert noted, “It’s time to start designing cars for the real world, where women are just as likely to crash as men.”
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