Global automotive safety supplier Autoliv, Inc. is performing crash tests to develop restraint systems for a population that is getting older and more diverse.
According to Autoliv, the targets in current legislation and vehicle safety rating programs are male, with just a few exceptions. To help save more lives, Autoliv has performed its first tests using mid-sized male and small female dummies, as well as its latest dummy, an elderly female.
“Traditionally, all restraint systems have been designed for a 45-year-old man. In frontal legal and rating tests today the driver is always a male dummy,” said Cecilia Sunnevång, Research Director at Autoliv Global Research. “Having an elderly dummy with a different anthropometry is a significant step forward in designing protection for older occupants.”
The new dummy represents a 70-year-old female who is 161 cm tall with a weight of 73 kilos. It is being tested in conjunction with the European H2020 SENIORS project which aims to improve safety for the elderly population using an integrated approach. Based on real life data regarding mobility and collision data for the elderly population, the SENIORS project will provide tools and evaluation methods for enhancing protection for elderly occupants, pedestrians and cyclists. Autoliv is a partner in the project.
