Pregnant Crash Test Dummies: Rethinking Standards and Reference Models

The Challenge

Conventional seatbelts do not fit pregnant women properly, and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of fetal death related to maternal trauma (Weiss et al., 2001). Even a relatively minor crash at 56km/h (35 mph) can cause harm. With over 13 million women pregnant across the European Union and United States each year, the use of seatbelts during pregnancy is a major safety concern (Eurostat, 2011; Finer et al., 2011).

Method: Rethinking Standards and Reference Models

The male body is often defined as the norm and serves as the primary object of study. In this case, crash test dummies were first developed to model the U.S. 50th percentile man (taken as the norm). This means that other segments of the population were left out of the “discovery” phase in design. Inattention to humans of different sizes and shapes may result in unintended harm.

Gendered Innovations:

  1. Taking both women and men as the norm may expand creativity in science and technology. From the start, devices should be designed for safety in broad populations.
  2. Analyzing sex has led to the development of pregnant crash dummies and computer simulations.