Humanetics has started a design for a crash-test dummy meant to resemble a 70-year-old small female driver.
More than 5,700 older adults were killed and more than 236,000 seniors were treated in emergency rooms in 2014, the company said.
The company’s research is based on data from the International Center for Automotive Medicine and UMTRI (University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute).
The Elderly ATD “will allow more precise measurements of internal injuries sustained in automotive accidents for this specific occupant group,” the company said.
“As the demographics of the driving population continues to evolve, our crash test dummies and the test equipment that we design & manufacture must continue to evolve at the same rate,” says Christopher J. O’Connor, president & CEO of Humanetics. “Let’s not forget the more vulnerable drivers on the road and provide a product that the car manufacturers, government agencies and research groups around the world can use to design and test a safer car for people of all sizes and ages,” he added.
The company is using 3D printing technology on the Elderly ATD to research and develop new methods of production. Humanetics also is involved in the SENIORS (Safety ENhancing Innovations for Older Road userS) project funded by the European Union.
