History of Crash Test Dummies

Through the hundred plus year history of the automobile, safety has always been a serious concern. In fact, the fatality rate of 15.6 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in the 1930s was many times our current rate of 1.8, even though we have millions of more cars on the road today. This notable progress is due in part to manufacturers’ diligent efforts to design cars so that fewer injuries occur during accidents. Crash test dummies, like those developed and manufactured by First Technology Safety Systems (FTSS), play a major role in making cars safer.
The History 1930s Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles reach 15.6. Auto designers begin to pay serious attention to safety. 1949 Alderson Research Labs (ARL) Sierra Engineering build "Sierra Sam," an engineering dummy.
Early 1950s Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories study vehicle accidents to determine how to make cars safer. "Gard Dummy," a research dummy, is produced by Grumman-Alderson. 1950 Hollaman Air Force Base conducts crash tests using the ARL VIP 50th Dummy and Sierra Sam. Late 1950s First cars with significant safety features introduced. 1950 - 1970 Automotive crash test dummies are developed based on aerospace models. 50th and 95th percentile males and 5th percentile female dummies produced.
1971 The Hybrid I, a standardization of the ARL & Sierra 50th percentile male dummies, is introduced. 1972 The Hybrid II is developed, with improved shoulders, spine and knees. It also offered better documentation than the Hybrid I 1973 The standard Hybrid II 50th percentile dummy is introduced. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) contracts with General Motors to produce improved heads, necks, joints, ribs, knees, human-like posture and a new spine design. (ATD 502) Highway Safety Research Institute (HSRI) receives contract from Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association (MVMA) to develop a 50th percentile male dummy with a new head, neck, thorax, spine, lumbar, pelvis, legs and joints. 1976 Hybrid III is introduced. General Motors improves ATD 502 with a new neck, thorax and more transducers for more extensive data. 1979 - 1987 NHTSA contracts with the University of Michigan Transportation Institute (UMTRI) to produce a new side impact dummy (SID).

It is a Hybrid II type dummy with a new thorax. 1988 - 1989 Humanetics and SAE develop Hybrid III type small female and large male scaled dummies from Hybrid III 50th dummy. General Motors and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) develop Biosid, a Hybrid III based biofidelic side-impact dummy. AATD (advanced dummy project) completed.

University of Michigan and Wayne State University receive NHTSA contract to develop an advanced dummy. First Technology Safety Systems is a subcontractor. 1995 - 1996 First Technology Safety Systems and Occupant Safety Research Partnership jointly develop the SID IIs, a small adult/teenager side impact dummy for side air bag development. 1996 First Technology Safety Systems develops the FT-Arup™ FE-Model Series, a highly precise and detailed finite element crash test dummy computer model.


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