{"id":5167,"date":"2015-12-03T15:02:22","date_gmt":"2015-12-03T15:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mullenandmullen.com\/how-is-nhtsas-reducing-injuries\/"},"modified":"2023-10-03T12:14:45","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T12:14:45","slug":"how-is-nhtsas-reducing-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mullenandmullen.com\/personal-injury-lawyer\/articles\/how-is-nhtsas-reducing-injuries\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the NHTSA doing to reduce injuries from car wrecks?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ll give you 5 guesses as to what an advanced anthropomorphic test device is?\u00a0Go ahead and give it\u00a0a shot.\u00a0Could you even come up with one?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Well, me either. But they\u2019re really simple: they\u2019re crash test dummies.<\/p>\n

Do you remember those commercials during the 80s and 90s showing dummies flying through car windshields?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s actually a brief compilation of those videos at YouTube:<\/p>\n

Anyway, the NHTSA\u2019s still testing with these dummies today, in their \u2018Biomechanics & Trauma division, to continue reducing the injuries and deaths in motor vehicle accidents.<\/p>\n

Drivers will never be perfect. Some people are always going to drive drunk or high<\/a>. So it\u2019s kind of a necessary science.<\/p>\n

Today, they\u2019re working on THOR 50th. \u201cTHOR\u201d stands for \u201cTest Device for Human Occupant Restraint.\u201d THOR 50th<\/sup> represents a 50th<\/sup> percentile male (an \u201caverage\u201d male), it\u2019s THORS\u2019 job to go through endless car crashes.<\/p>\n

Poor guy has a tough life\u2026<\/p>\n

The crash test researchers get to do all the cool, fun stuff. They get to create the test crashes, execute them, and analyze the results.<\/p>\n

To you, the public, they release long and boring reports like these.<\/p>\n

Even though they\u2019re a total snoozefest to read, these reports contain some important information. And rather than forcing you to torture yourself and read all 12 pages, I\u2019ll give you some of the highlights.<\/p>\n

What the NHTSA\u2019s Testing Today?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

They\u2019re doing tests with other corporations and institutions. For example, with TAKATA the NHTSA tested the ability of adaptive advanced restraint systems (seat belts) to protect a wide range of occupants in current and future vehicles.<\/p>\n

50th<\/sup> THOR, 5th<\/sup> THOR, and 95th<\/sup> THOR participated in these tests. The 5th<\/sup> and 95th<\/sup> THORs are what you\u2019d call \u201coutliers.\u201d Just 5% of our population would be like either of these THORs. But they also have the 50th<\/sup> THOR in there, representative of the average male. To date, they\u2019ve found these dummies successfully passed their tests. Now it\u2019s interesting that NHTSA would affiliate with Takata in any way because Takata\u2019s gotten into trouble for many recalls and high-profile lawsuits\u2026so make of that what you will.<\/p>\n

NHTSA also tests each dummy to make sure it produces nearly identical results in similar conditions. In their language, they test the \u201ccoefficient of variation.\u201d In simple language, this means that two identical tests with the same conditions must come within a certain range of results to consider the test valid for use.<\/p>\n

They have 4 ranges:<\/p>\n