Skip navigation
advertisement

Ford creating kid’s belly for crash-test dummies

Effort aims to boost children’s car safety, previously focused on head, chest

  LIVE QUOTE
Quotes delayed 15+ min.
INTERACTIVE
Image: The Tata Nano
10 odd-looking foreign cars
From the Fiat 500 to the Tata Nano — these foreign cars leave us speechless.
  Latest interest rates
MortgageHome EquitySavingsAutoCredit Cards
See today's average mortgage rates across the country.
Loan typeToday+/-Last week
30-year fixed
5.06%
5.04%
15-year fixed
4.50%
4.51%
30-year fixed jumbo
5.87%
5.86%
5/1 ARM
4.32%
4.40%
7/1 ARM
4.45%
4.62%
See today's average home equity rates across the country.
Loan typeToday+/-Last week
$30K HELOC
5.19%
5.20%
$30K home equity loan
8.40%
8.32%
$75K home equity loan
8.33%
8.22%
$50K home equity loan
8.30%
8.19%
$50K HELOC
4.93%
4.93%
See today's savings rates across the country.
Savings typeToday+/-Last week
Money market
.87%
.93%
$10K money market
.93%
1.00%
Six-month CD
1.02%
1.05%
One-year CD
1.44%
1.51%
Five-year CD
2.53%
2.47%
See today's average auto rates across the country.
Loan typeToday+/-Last week
48-month new car loan
6.82%
6.82%
36-month used car loan
7.17%
7.17%
36-month new car loan
6.70%
6.70%
60-month new car loan
6.86%
6.86%
72-month new car loan
6.12%
6.12%
See today's average credit card rates across the country.
Card typeFixedVariable
Standard13.47% 11.48%
Gold12.13% 9.90%
Platinum11.46% 12.21%
All12.43% 11.68%
updated 11:40 a.m. ET Dec. 26, 2007

DEARBORN, Mich. - Ford Motor Co. is developing a high-tech insert for crash test dummies that is similar in size and shape to a 6-year-old's abdomen, aiming to improve tests for children's vehicle safety.

The prototype is part of an effort to make pediatric crash dummies and tests more realistic.

The hope is they'll lead to better vehicle restraints for children, the Dearborn-based automaker said in a statement.

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

Partners in the collaboration include Wayne State University in Detroit, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and the Takata Corp., which makes automotive safety systems.

Crash tests mainly focus on head and chest injuries, according to Steve Rouhana, a technical leader in Ford's crash dummy testing.

"We really didn't have the technology before to accurately measure abdominal response," he said.

The silicone prototype features sensors that measure the severity of injuries sustained by the dummies during crash tests.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sponsored links

Resource guide