She Drives: VERITY Now June 2023 Update
At VERITY Now, we’re working to improve women’s safety in vehicles by advocating for updated crash testing standards. She Drives is a monthly email newsletter with updates on the latest news, research, upcoming events and ways to get involved with VERITY Now. We’re glad you’re here, now let’s get into it.
In this section, we’ll cover all the things we’ve been working on over the last month and what's coming up.
⚠️NHTSA Delays Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Female Crash Test Dummy⚠️
Earlier this month, the National Highway Transportation Safety Association released its Spring agenda, which indicates that the Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) for the THOR 5th female crash test dummy has been delayed once again and is now slated for review in December of this year. This disappointment comes as the US Department of Transportation falls months behind on promises in the department's Fall 2022 agenda to issue regulations on advanced THOR dummies, including the THOR 5th female crash test dummy, which was scheduled to be published last month. Each time there is a delay, women's lives and safety are compromised. Read VERITY Now’s full statement on the delay here.
There’s a lot to cover when it comes to vehicle safety, especially when it comes to women’s safety. In this section, we’ll cover the top things you need to know when it comes to protecting women behind the wheel.
⚠️#DYK? Regulatory Roadmap Ahead⚠️
For this month’s #DYK, we describe the New Car Assessment Program that needs to be updated with standards that test women in the driver’s seat and use truly biofidelic equipment, such as the Thor 5th female crash test dummy.
⭐NCAP 5-Star Safety Rating Program⭐ This is the star safety rating you see on commercials. When automakers brag about their vehicles’ safety, it is because the companies have submitted their products to a series of tests and earned high ‘star’ ratings. But right now, dummies representing those assigned female at birth are not used in any tests. Even the old dummies that purport to represent females are not used in the driver’s seat in those tests. Currently, the US DOT Spring regulatory agenda is only a promise to start the regulatory proceedings outlined that will represent females in the NCAP tests. The recent NPRM delay makes us feel like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is moving the goalposts on the first regulatory step.
Are you upset about the government’s delays to implement female crash test dummies? Join VERITY Now in demanding immediate action by sharing the post below. 👇
📲VERITY Now on Twitter:
"We are disappointed to hear of further delays in the implementation of the THOR 5th female crash test dummy. Current dummies don't represent women accurately. Swift action is needed to save lives. It is as simple as that. Please see our statement, below: https://t.co/hQAXturj5F" / Twitter
Are you interested in joining our fight for equitable safety standards in vehicle testing? Maybe your organization should be an official VERITY Now coalition partner. Please reach out to info@veritynow.org to learn more about our free partnership.
Support Our Friends at Families for Safe Streets👇
VERITY Now is thankful to partners like Families for Safe Streets for continuously advocating for policies that will reduce traffic violence and save lives. If you are concerned about road safety, we encourage you to visit their website and see for yourself what this organization is doing to prevent death and injury. Together, we can make our roads and vehicles safer for everyone.
Check out our Take Action page or pick one (or more) actions from the list below.
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If you have any questions or just want to say hello, please reach out to our team at info@veritynow.org.
The VERITY Now Team