Crash-test ratings do account for some differences in occupant size and sex, but not by using the same dummy in every test. NHTSA, IIHS and Euro NCAP select different crash-test dummies according to crash type and seating position. Their ratings report results for those defined test setups; they are not individualized predictions for every driver or passenger.
What crash-test ratings measure
A crash-test dummy is an instrumented test device. Sensors measure forces or injury criteria in selected parts of the body during a controlled impact. The resulting rating describes how a vehicle performed in the test conditions chosen by a particular rating program—not how every person would fare in every collision.
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Dummy size is one part of those conditions. Crash direction, seat location and the purpose of the test also matter. A small-female dummy in one test does not mean that all tests use a female driver dummy, just as a male-representative dummy does not mean that a program tests only men. To understand what a rating says about occupant protection, identify the organization, test type, dummy, seating position and protocol or rating year.
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NHTSA describes its 50th-percentile adult male Hybrid III as representing a person 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighing 171 pounds. Its 5th-percentile adult female Hybrid III represents a person 4 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 108 pounds. For side-impact work, NHTSA describes the small-female SID-IIs as 4 feet 11 inches tall and 97 pounds. These are the stated dimensions and weights of particular test devices, not a description of all men or all women.
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A percentile label identifies a point in the reference population used to define a dummy’s size. It is not a sex-specific rating, a claim that the dummy represents everyone of that sex, or a boundary for who can benefit from the test. A smaller device can expose a safety issue that a larger one might not reveal in a particular setup. But a result still describes one controlled representation of an occupant, rather than every body size or shape.
It is also important not to treat “small-female dummy” as shorthand for “average woman.” The dimensions above show that these devices represent a particular smaller reference size. They do not capture the full range of occupant stature, weight, proportions or other factors that can affect how a person interacts with a seat belt, airbag and vehicle interior.
Where NHTSA uses male and small-female dummies
NHTSA’s U.S. 5-Star Safety Ratings program uses different dummies across its frontal and side tests. In its frontal crash test, the average-size adult male dummy is in the driver seat, while the small-size adult female dummy is in the front passenger seat. The test is a fixed-barrier impact at 35 mph.
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For the side barrier test, NHTSA uses a 3,000-pound moving barrier traveling at 38.5 mph. The average-size adult male dummy sits in the driver seat, and a small-female dummy sits in the rear seat on the driver’s side—the side struck by the barrier. This arrangement includes two occupant sizes and two seating positions in the same side-impact test.
For the side pole test, a small-female dummy sits in the driver seat. The vehicle impacts a pole at 20 mph and a 75-degree angle. That is a distinct crash configuration from the moving-barrier test, with a different dummy placement and impact setup. The pole-test result should be understood as performance in that specified configuration, not as a substitute for the frontal or barrier-test result.
NHTSA advises shoppers to compare frontal ratings among vehicles in the same weight class and within 250 pounds. Its reason is that the frontal rating reflects a collision between vehicles of similar weight. Comparing ratings without accounting for that advice can make a star result seem more broadly comparable than the agency intends.
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How IIHS chooses dummies
IIHS uses the midsize male Hybrid III in the driver seat for all of its frontal ratings tests. In its passenger-side small-overlap test, that dummy is in the front passenger seat. IIHS also uses a small-female dummy in certain other test positions: it has used a related small-female dummy in front and rear seats in side tests since those tests began in 2003, and uses a small-female Hybrid III in the rear seat in its updated moderate-overlap test.
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IIHS explains that its small-female Hybrid III is mostly based on the original midsize male model, with some female-specific dimensions and a pelvic design. Its rationale for prioritizing shorter occupants in side crashes is that they can be more vulnerable to head injury, particularly with some earlier airbag designs. That rationale does not make dummy size the only factor in injury outcomes. IIHS cautions that improving women’s safety takes more than placing a female dummy in the driver seat: dummies are approximations, and body size is only one influence on injury risk.
IIHS procedures are revised over time. Its protocol index lists the moderate-overlap 2.0 test protocol, Version II, from May 2025, and rating guidelines, Version III, from February 2026. Those dates and versions matter when interpreting a result or describing the procedure: a rating is tied to the applicable protocol, and a procedure should not be called current without checking the latest version.
How Euro NCAP differs
Euro NCAP also varies dummy choice by test purpose. Its described lineup includes a small-female Hybrid III for frontal impacts, a midsize male WorldSID for lateral and far-side tests, and a male BioRID dummy for whiplash assessment. A dummy used for a whiplash assessment is not interchangeable with one selected for a frontal or side-impact test; each is part of a protocol designed to measure a particular type of response.
The practical point is that “crash-test rating” does not name one universal test method. NHTSA, IIHS and Euro NCAP use different procedures and dummy lineups. A rating from one program should not be assumed to represent the same crash, dummy size or seat position as a rating from another.
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What the ratings can—and cannot—tell you
The presence of a male-representative dummy in some driver-seat tests does not mean that ratings ignore women. NHTSA’s frontal test includes a small-female passenger, its side barrier test includes a small-female rear passenger on the struck side, and its side pole test places a small-female dummy in the driver seat. IIHS and Euro NCAP also use small-female devices in selected tests. At the same time, it would be inaccurate to say all tests put a female dummy in the driver seat: NHTSA’s frontal NCAP test and IIHS’s frontal ratings tests use male-representative dummies there.
These distinctions help explain what a rating is evidence of. It measures vehicle performance with specified dummies, seats and impact conditions. It does not directly predict the outcome for a particular person, cover every occupant size, or establish how a vehicle will perform in every real-world crash. A star rating is useful standardized information, but its scope is defined by the test behind it.
When comparing results, keep the test details attached to the rating. A useful comparison identifies:
- Organization: NHTSA, IIHS or Euro NCAP.
- Crash mode: frontal, side barrier, side pole, lateral/far-side or rear/whiplash assessment.
- Dummy: its type and stated represented size, where specified.
- Seating position: driver, front passenger or rear seat, including which side is struck in a side test.
- Protocol or rating year: procedures can change, so the version matters.
For NHTSA frontal ratings, also apply the agency’s advice to compare vehicles in the same weight class and within 250 pounds. If two ratings come from different programs or protocols, first check whether the tests actually share comparable conditions rather than treating the star counts as interchangeable.
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What is changing in dummy development
NHTSA’s 2022 Report to Congress says dummy selection is guided by occupant demographics, seating position, crash direction and speed. It describes use of the HIII-05F in frontal tests and SID-IIs in side-impact applications. A separate NHTSA report records that NCAP included female dummies in all tests beginning with model year 2011; it also notes IIHS’s adoption of a small-female dummy in its side-impact protocol beginning in 2003.
Newer devices remain an area of study and development. In a January 8, 2026 press release, NHTSA reported a study using data from 2000–2015 and 2017–2022 and discussed a report on progress involving the THOR-05F and WorldSID-05F. That establishes research activity, not that these devices have replaced the dummies used in consumer ratings. Treat their adoption as unconfirmed unless a current final protocol identifies them as part of the applicable rating test.
The cautious way to describe a new dummy is therefore to distinguish development from deployment. A device may be studied or included in progress reporting without yet being part of a consumer-rating procedure. The relevant evidence for current use is the applicable program’s current protocol, not the fact that development work has been reported.
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How to read a rating when occupant size matters to you
If you are checking how a rating applies to a particular driver or passenger, use the rating as one piece of vehicle-safety evidence and inspect the underlying setup. Start with the rating program and model year, then find the crash mode, dummy and seating position. Those details tell you whether the test included a smaller dummy, whether it was in the driver seat or another position, and what kind of impact was measured.
Do not infer a complete “women’s rating” or “men’s rating” from the presence of one dummy. None of the described programs uses a single lineup that represents every body size in every seat and crash direction. Nor does a small-female device provide a direct prediction for an individual woman. The sounder interpretation is narrower: the result shows how the vehicle performed with the specified device in the specified configuration.
Keep agency-specific advice and protocol dates with the comparison. NHTSA’s weight-class guidance applies to its frontal ratings; IIHS and Euro NCAP have their own test methods. Where a procedure has a version number or publication date, include it when explaining a result, especially if comparing ratings published under different protocols.
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