Throughout American history, crash test dummies have been used to determine safety features and how an accident or particular car could influence the humans inside a vehicle. Crash test dummies, however, don’t evolve that often. Recent research has called for better dummies more in line with what the U.S. population looks like and the call has been heard.

Despite the fact that advances in auto technology have increased the chance that people wear seatbelts and the general safety associated with in car safety gear, fatalities in vehicle accidents continue to rise. That’s why researchers and legislatures are now turning to crash test dummies to ensure whether or not the results received from these tests are in line with helpful information that can be used to cut down fatal car accidents. A 2009 study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration determined that even though cars had become more crash worthy in recent years, there are still too many fatalities on the road. A new crash test dummy known as THOR or the Test Device for Human Occupant Restraint weighs 170 lbs. and is 5’8″ tall.

With 18 channels of data and 14o sensors, this crash test dummy can even detect brain damage. More precise data from test dummies, according to a technical solutions manager at an industry leading company found that better crash dummies could help illustrate more accurately why these fatalities continue to occur. In 2015 the NHTSA first announced that they intended this crash test dummy model to be used in auto manufacture testing. Although the protocol has not yet been mandated nationwide, it provides a tremendous amount of promise.

If you or someone you know has already been in an accident, you need to consult with an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. If the accident was partially or fully caused by someone else, you need the help of a lawyer with a background in car accidents.