CONTRIBUTED BY SEN. KATIE BRITT
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and several of their colleagues introduced the She Develops Regulations In Vehicle Equality and Safety (She DRIVES) Act, bipartisan legislation that would modernize vehicle safety tests by requiring the use of the most advanced testing devices available — including a female crash test dummy.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report outlined the deficiencies in the current crash testing program, and while the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has long acknowledged that a family of crash test dummies is needed for accurate crash tests, the agency has yet to deploy dummies or tests that represent females, the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
“It is past time for crash testing to reflect the full range of drivers and passengers on the road,” Britt said. “By updating standards to include female crash test dummies, we can make cars safer for everyone and better protect our loved ones. I’m proud to join my colleagues on this commonsense legislation that will truly save lives.”
According to a press release from Britt’s office, as of 2022 there were more than 2.1 million licensed female drivers in Alabama — 129,000 more female than male drivers.
Multiple studies have shown that women die and are seriously injured in crashes at much higher rates than men. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 1,300 women die every year who would have otherwise lived if female death and injury rates were comparable to that of males.
“Outdated crash testing standards make women 17 percent more likely to be killed in auto crashes than men, but that doesn’t have to be the case,” said Fischer. “By updating crash test dummy standards, our bill will save thousands of lives and prevent thousands more serious injuries each year.”
Britt also co-sponsored the She DRIVES Act in the 118th Congress.