Figure 1. Crash test before, during, and after. Measurements from the test dummy are used to
predict the risk of injury to each part of the body.
“You Could Learn a Lot From a Dummy.”
This famous tag line was the foundation of a popular NHTSA safety campaign from the 1980s and 1990s urging people to wear their seat belts. Vince and Larry, the loveable crash test dummies, encouraged seat belt use through TV, print, and radio ads. In 2010, Vince and Larry were inducted into the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History as part of an exhibit on the evolution of automobile safety – along with authentic crash test dummies.
Fun Facts
- The first season of the TV show MythBusters used a Hybrid II crash test dummy nicknamed Buster to test myths. The show's tests often exceeded the severity of the crashes Hybrid II was designed for and Buster was later replaced with a more easily repairable wood‑and-silicone version.
- In 2012, the Discovery Channel crashed a full-size passenger airplane into a remote and uninhabited desert. On board were three crash test dummies to understand the impact of the crash on the human body.
- NASA is evaluating the THOR dummy as a potential device to be used for occupant safety standards for the next generation of space vehicles.
- In 2008, the program Fight Science compared the force from punches and kicks to a Hybrid III dummy given by trained martial arts and boxing professionals.