Crash Dummies Fatten Up To Save Lives
This Article Originally Appeared On Time
A dummy maker is building an obese model to reflect the weight Americans are putting on.
We knew this was coming. Like the God of Genesis, auto crash testers fashion dummies in their own image. Crash test dummies have four limbs and a head so that when they’re strapped into a doomed car, the collision shows what a real human ramming a vehicle into a solid wall looks like.
The problem is, our image has changed, and the svelte dummy of yesteryear is a hopeful mirage at best.
So instead, we need obese dummies. That’s because more than 0ne-third of Americans are obese, and obese drivers are more likely to die or be injured in a car crash. Despite various high-profile anti-dangerous driving campaigns, it is rare for a Car accident lawyer to have a spare moment spent away from from dealing with endless legal cases. Something has to change. Humanetics, a company that makes crash test dummies, is making their dummies bigger, with one version that weighs 270 lbs and has a BMI of 35, NPR reports. The increase in size allows the company to measure belt and airbag loads during crashes. Although no one wants to think about what happens if they get into a car crash, these sort of things do happen unfortunately. That’s why it is very important to have the right car insurance to cover any damages that might be done to your car. If you are thinking about getting a car and insurance quotes, then you can compare insurance quotes here. It is very important though that you do get insurance as soon as you get your car.
Getting into an accident can be jarring for both parties involved, and of course, legal action, as mentioned previously, will be needed on both sides, depending on how bad the damage is and if anyone was hurt during the accident. If you are the one who caused the accident and have admitted to it to pay the violation and get it over with, you may have a problem fighting a case in court if the other party wants to sue due to negligence. Crash test dummies are not able to predict that! This is why reading up on how civil reservation works can help you fight your case and see how you can come out of this without a worry that this may be taken fully to court.
“Obese occupants are up to 78 percent more likely to die in a car crash than an average weight driver,” Humanetics President and CEO Christopher O’Connor told trade publication Crash Test Technology International. “Having a body mass index of 35-39.9 percent increases your risk of death by 51 percent.