The Turning Point for Inclusive Automotive Safety
On November 20th, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officially introduced the THOR-5F, the most advanced female frontal crash test dummy ever developed. This is the first meaningful update to how female occupants are represented in U.S. crash testing in more than half a century. The announcement signals a long-awaited modernization of the U.S. safety system and a strong recognition that occupant protection must reflect the diversity of people who travel on our roadways.
NHTSA indicated that it will use the THOR-5F device in its 2026 new vehicle assessments with an ambition to complete rulemaking by 2027/2028. This timescale suggests that both hardware and virtual models will need to be incorporated into test programs as fast as possible.
A New Advanced Female ATD for a New Era
For decades, regulatory testing has relied on dummies based primarily on 50th percentile male anthropometry along with scaled down variants that were intended to represent female occupants. These scaled versions never fully captured the biomechanics, injury patterns or real-world crash vulnerability of smaller women. The result is a known safety gap. Women, particularly those with smaller stature, are 73% more likely to be seriously injured in a head-on car crash compared with men in the same crash. And female drivers and front-seat passengers are 17% more likely to be killed than their male counterparts.
“While I’m the first to acknowledge that this took far longer than anyone would like, it was very important to make sure that we got this right,” said Jonathan Morrison, the highway safety agency's administrator, at a vehicle safety research meeting Thursday in Washington, D.C.. “We’re releasing design specifications for the first-ever advanced female crash test dummies.”
NHTSA’s introduction of the latest THOR-5F configuration directly addresses this gap. This is the first time the United States has embraced a gender specific, highly biofidelic, sensor-rich test device designed from the ground up to reflect the anatomy, posture and injury response of a small female occupant. By bringing the THOR-5F into the sights of federal rulemaking plans, NHTSA is indicating a strong shift in how safety will be measured and how vehicles will be required to protect a broader range of people. This is significant for consumers, and it is also significant for the entire mobility safety industry.
“This is a crucial step towards the full adoption of this new dummy and learning even more about how to design vehicles to better protect female drivers and passengers,” Morrison added.
For automakers and suppliers, this announcement serves as both a policy signal and a technical opportunity. It clarifies that future certification and consumer rating requirements will demand more advanced evaluation of occupant protection. It also allows forward looking companies to begin integrating the THOR-5F early in development programs. Early adoption provides a competitive edge and positions organizations to lead the next phase of occupant protection innovation.
“Our team has worked hard over the last eight months to finalize the details for this new, state-of-the-art female crash test dummy.” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, “Under the leadership of President Trump, this Department will continue to put the safety of American families — including women — first.”
For the public, this represents progress toward more equitable safety outcomes. Vehicles that are designed, modeled and validated using tools that represent both male and female occupants will produce safer roads and fewer injuries for everyone.
“NHTSA’s introduction of the THOR-5F is a landmark moment for transportation safety. For the first time, our regulatory framework reflects the real diversity of the people who travel on our roads. Humanetics is proud to have partnered with NHTSA to bring this technology forward, and we believe it will set a new global standard for inclusive safety. This is progress that will save lives, and we are committed to helping our customers lead this next chapter in vehicle safety,” said Christopher O'Connor, President and CEO of Humanetics.
Our engineers at Humanetics collaborated with NHTSA from the earliest prototypes through validation, production ATDs and the fully correlated finite element model. Today’s announcement is an important milestone for Humanetics, for our partners and for every customer working to raise the standard of safety.
Why the THOR-5F Matters
The THOR-5F is not simply a new dummy. It is the most advanced small female ATD ever produced. Its design reflects extensive biomechanical research and incorporates major improvements in anatomical realism, instrumentation density, and measurement quality.
Key advancements include:
- A true small female anthropometry based on UMTRI AMVO 5F standards.
- A highly detailed skeletal and soft tissue structure that captures realistic load paths.
- Up to approximately 174 data channels that provide high-resolution insights into head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, thigh, and lower leg injury risks.
- Expanded capabilities that allow more precise correlation with digital models and model-based design workflows.
These capabilities allow engineers to evaluate safety countermeasures with far greater precision than legacy small female dummies. They also help identify injury mechanisms that were previously underrepresented in testing.
What This Means for New Vehicle Safety Programs
NHTSA indicated that it will use the THOR-5F device in its 2026 new vehicle assessments with an ambition to complete rulemaking by 2027/2028. This timescale suggests that both hardware and virtual models will need to be incorporated into test programs as fast as possible.
Humanetics has served as a core development partner in bringing the THOR-5F to the industry. Our contributions include prototype development, physical ATD manufacturing, sensor design, calibration systems and sophisticated digital twins that mirror the physical device.
For our customers, this offers several clear benefits:
Preparedness: Early access to the THOR-5F allows organizations to align development programs with upcoming regulatory expectations.
Competitive advantage: Adoption of advanced ATDs positions manufacturers to demonstrate leadership in occupant protection and achieve stronger consumer rating performance.
Improved roadway safety: Better representation of female occupants leads directly to better protection for families, communities and road users.
Technical robustness: Richer data and improved biofidelity enhance simulation workflows and help engineers optimize restraint systems, interior geometries and crash energy management strategies.
Final Thought
NHTSA’s introduction of the THOR-5F is not simply a symbolic milestone. It is a clear statement that the agency is committed to modernizing occupant protection and closing long standing gaps in how female safety is measured. The direction is unmistakable, and the pace is accelerating. This is the moment for the industry to act. Humanetics is proud to be at the center of this progress and ready to support every customer who chooses to move forward now. The organizations that embrace the THOR-5F early will be the ones leading the next chapter of automotive safety and delivering better protection for everyone on the road.
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Mark Brown
Mark is the Product Marketing Manager at Humanetics Safety and works closely with Engineering and Sales to develop and refine content that is both useful and informative for our industry. With over two decades of experience in crash test dummy product Quality, Technical, Sales, and Marketing, Mark produces a wide range of media and publications including our service bulletins, webinars, editorial articles, and contributes to our marketing collateral.