Crash Test Dummies Are Getting Fatter

Obesity is a growing problem in America. As we've noted previously, it affects not just humans, but also America's laboratory animals. Now even crash test dummies used in car safety studies are putting on extra weight. Pictured above is a new dummy designed by Humanetics, a company that specializes in that field. It weighs 273 pounds and has a BMI (body mass index) of 35. CNN reports:

Humanetics are also rolling out their next generation THOR (Test device for Human Occupant Restraint) for median range occupants, with the most advanced sensitivity yet.
"The idea of these new dummies that they start to measure new types of load, (such as) shoulder loads, they interact with restraints better," says Dr. Joel Stitzel, director of the Center for Injury Biomechanics. "They have more measurement capabilities, so they can do a better job of predicting injury."