Crash test dummies are getting fatter to reflect rising obesity.
Crash test dummies are getting fat
The mannequins in the mock collisions are being plumped up from 15.5 to 19.5 stone as the current models are deemed too lightweight to protect porky Brits.
Research from the US suggests that the obese are 79 per cent more likely to be injured in a car accident than the average male and 28 per cent of adults in England are classed as obese.
The safety ratings system Euro NCAP are to announce the new safety measures this week.
It said: "Restraints optimised for the average-sized driver do not necessarily work equally well for shorter or taller drivers, or, for that matter, for obese or more vulnerable older drivers."
Matthew Avery, chief research strategy officer of Thatcham Research, explained that a heavy driver "will overwhelm the airbag, effectively ride through the airbag, and hit the steering wheel". This puts them at risk of internal injuries or death.