First Anatomically Accurate Female Crash Test Dummy Joins U.S. Safety Testing

After years of research, debate, and delay, the first-ever anatomically accurate female crash test dummy has seen the light of day in the U.S vehicle safety system. Led by the U.S. Department of Transportation and NHTSA, the dummy - THOR-05F (Test device for Human Occupant Restraint, 5th-percentile Female) - aims to close longstanding safety gaps that have left women at higher risk of injury in car crashes compared to men. It features more than 150 sensors to capture how a female body responds in collisions. The THOR-05F will make its debut in NHTSA’s 2026 vehicle assessments, with full rulemaking anticipated by 2027 or 2028. Its deployment will mark a major update to a decades-old 'gender safety gap' that has left female occupants disproportionately at risk on American roads.

THOR-05F: Key Highlights

For decades, vehicle safety testing in the U.S. centered on male dummies, leaving women largely invisible in crash research. Although a 'female' dummy was introduced in the early 2000s, it was essentially a scaled-down male dummy version, which failed to account for differences in bone density, muscle distribution, or pelvic structure.

Data show that women, particularly smaller women, face a 73% higher risk of serious injury in head-on crashes and a 17% higher risk of death compared to men in similar collisions.

The THOR-05F shows a significant transformation in crash-test technology. It draws on the same technology as the THOR-50M (an advanced crash test dummy based on the average adult male) but represents a 5th-percentile female occupant. With more lifelike biofidelity and advanced sensors, it captures injuries that smaller women are uniquely prone to, filling a gap that has persisted for decades in automotive safety testing.

Unlike its predecessor, the Hybrid III, which had a rigid spine and limited sensors, the THOR-05F features a flexible spine that mimics natural driving postures, a female-specific pelvis to track seatbelt interactions, and protect internal organs. It comes with more than 150 sensors that track impacts from head to toe with unprecedented accuracy.

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While the THOR-05F is ready, it won’t hit official crash-test labs immediately. Unveiled in late 2024 and finalised throughout 2025, the THOR-05F will enter U.S. vehicle safety testing in stages. Voluntary testing by automakers is said to begin in 2025–2026 to refine crash protections and restraint systems. By 2027–2028, NHTSA aims for full incorporation into safety ratings, ensuring cars safeguard female occupants as thoroughly as males.