A new kind of crash-test child-sized dummy is born at Ford (to test seat belt submarining)

Ford Motor Company is now using child-size crash-test dummies equipped with sensors in the abdominal area to help carmakers invent seat belts to better protect children from sliding under seatbelts and sustaining stomach injuries. The new dummy will hopefully lead the way to better understanding of the pressure placed on a child’s abdomen in a crash. Children’s seat belts tend to ride up into their stomach area while seated or they scoot forward to bend their knees, placing them at greater risk for submarining, or sliding under the belt. Key to Ford's redesign are new abdominal sensors as well as the bone structure designed to mimic a child’s pelvic area and rounder hip bones.