Democrats demand female crash test dummies for gender equity in safety

A group of 66 members of Congress, led by Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Del. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC), sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Feb. 15 asking him to unilaterally update federal crash test processes and equipment to not only use the most updated equipment, but to make sure male and female crash test dummies are used equally.

They’ve asked Buttigieg to step in and “transition to the latest generation of crash test dummy technology for both male and female occupants” as well as require that male and female dummies be used equally in both the tests that determine a vehicle’s 5 Star Safety rating and in those used during the manufacturing process.

“It is time for women to get parity when it comes to protecting us for the same kinds of hazards that men face,” Rep. Schakowsky said in an interview about the letter.