Britt auto safety bill would require female crash test dummies

WASHINGTON – If legislation introduced by Sen. Katie Britt is approved, original crash test dummies Vince and Larry will be joined by Vickie and Loretta.

Britt (R-Montgomery), Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and several of their Senate colleagues recently introduced the “She Develops Regulations In Vehicle Equity and Safety (She DRIVES) Act.

This bipartisan legislation would modernize vehicle safety tests by requiring the use of the most advanced testing devices available — including a female crash test dummy, according to Britt’s office.

“It is past time for crash testing to reflect the full range of drivers and passengers on the road,” Britt said. “By updating standards to include female crash test dummies, we can make cars safer for everyone and better protect our loved ones.

“I’m proud to join my colleagues on this commonsense legislation that will truly save lives.”

As of 2022, there were over 2.1 million licensed female drivers in Alabama, 129,000 more than male drivers, and between 2011 and 2021, over 3,000 women were killed in car crashes.

Studies have shown that women die and are seriously injured at much higher rates than men in crashes. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,300 women die every year who would have otherwise lived if female death and injury rates were comparable to that of males.

This bill is estimated to save billions of dollars in economic impact from preventing and mitigating injuries and deaths, Britt said.

Specifically, the “She DRIVES Act” would enhance passenger vehicle safety by updating crashworthiness testing procedures under the NHTSA’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The full text of the legislation is available here.

“Outdated crash testing standards make women 17% more likely to be killed in auto crashes than men, but that doesn’t have to be the case. By updating crash test dummy standards, our bill will save thousands of lives and prevent thousands more serious injuries each year,” said Fischer.

A Government Accountability Office report outlined the deficiencies in crash testing program, and NHTSA has missed multiple self-declared deadlines on dummy deployment.

While NHTSA has long acknowledged that a family of crash test dummies is needed for accurate crash tests, the agency has yet to deploy dummies or tests that represent females, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups, according to a news release.

Last month, the “She DRIVES Act” passed unanimously out of the Senate Commerce Committee and now heads to the full Senate for consideration. Britt was also a cosponsor of the “She DRIVES Act” in the 118^th Congress.