GM developed this test device nearly 20 years prior in 1977 to provide a biofidelic measurement tool — crash test dummies that behave very similarly to human beings. A lot of research goes into these dummies before they are put into use. Each of us differs in size and weight, so each crash test dummy is designed differently too. Originally developed by General Motors, the Hybrid III 50th The Hybrid III 50th Percentile Male Crash Test Dummy is the most widely used crash test dummy in the world for the evaluation of automotive safety restraint systems in frontal crash testing. Read the latest Crash Test Dummy news and browse our full collection of Crash Test Dummy articles, photos, press releases and related videos. NHTSA’s family of dummies representation ranges from newborn infant to 6-year-old children to small females and average males.
The test vehicle has two adult dummies in the front – a THOR dummy in the driverʼs seat and a Hybrid III 50th percentile dummy in the passengerʼs seat – and two child dummies – representing a 6 year and a 10 year old – seated in appropriate child restraints in the rear. This experimental test dummy, Hybrid III, is based on the ATD 502 dummy which was developed in 1973 by General Motors under contract with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Hybrid III 50th Male Dummy 78051-218X FMVSS208, 49CFR Part 572, Subpart E The FTSS Hybrid III 50th Percentile Male Crash Test Dummy is the most widely used crash test dummy in the world for the evaluation of automotive safety restraint systems in frontal crash testing. In 1997, GM's Hybrid III crash test dummies officially became the industry standard for testing to comply with government frontal impact regulations and airbag safety.
In a frontal impact the car squashes inwards from the front causing foot-well intrusions, chest impacts from the steering wheel and airbag, and jarred heads and necks as they are thrown against the front pillars of the car. Like the ATD 502, Hybrid III features a biomechanically-based head design, human-like automotive seating posture, constant torque primary joints, and detailed documentation for fabrication. The current dummy design, Hybrid 3, has not changed significantly since the 1970s, and the certification requirements, which each dummy has to comply with, were aligned to loading regimes relevant at that time. Crash test dummies are the primary measurement device for all legislative and consumer crash testing around the world. Overview. When used in a crash test this dummy is set up to measure the head, neck, chest, and leg, as it is these areas that are most at risk during a frontal collision.