| When
it's time to buy a car, crash test ratings can make or break the
deal. Did the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) give your top
candidate a five-star rating? Did the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) name it a "Best
Pick"? What's behind those ratings is typically 30 or more
crash tests, conducted by the auto manufacturer as well as the two
safety agencies, at a cost totaling more than $8 million. And it's
not just about cars crashing into barriers; it's about the crash
test dummies strapped into their seats.
Crash test
dummies tell researchers what injuries humans are likely to experience
in a similar real-world car crash. It's this data that the crash
test ratings really reflect; they tell you how well a vehicle
is going to protect you, and your loved ones, in a crash. Today,
safety testers call upon an entire "family" of dummies
— several adults and a whole brood of kids who range in "age"
from six months to six years — when evaluating a car's crashworthiness.
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