DC Democrat Calls For Gender Equality In Crash Test Dummies

It seems that the world of auto crash-test dummies has been male-dominated. However, a Democrat in Congress is hoping to change all of that, according to Fox News.

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, a non-voting representative of Washington, D.C., says that the lack of female crash-test dummies means that vehicle collision risks for women are not adequately studied, so says The Washington Times.

Norton serves on the House Transportation subcommittee on highways and transit. She called for Congress to introduce legislation regarding her concerns.

Norton has said in a statement, “Women have achieved equality on the road when it comes to driving but when it comes to safety testing to keep them safe on the road, they are nowhere near achieving equality.”

Federal researchers use only male crash-test dummies, and car manufacturers face no legal requirement to use both male and female dummies, Norton’s office said, according to the Times.

Norton’s office claimed that male-only dummies could not adequately provide the data to show how women’s crash reactions would differ from those of men. They pointed to differences in anatomy as well as average neck strength and posture.