In 2019, a tragic accident profoundly affected my family. A wrong-way driver collided head-on with our vehicle while attempting to overtake a motorcycle uphill, driving his Ford F-150 truck into us. The crash resulted in my husband and son sustaining broken bones, while my daughter and I suffered severe injuries. Our seatbelts caused damage to our abdomens and internal organs, and I sustained a traumatic brain injury from the impact with my airbag. This led me to question why the same safety devices that protected my son and husband almost cost the lives of my daughter and me.

Shortly after the accident, I came across a report from Consumer Reports that urged me to investigate further. I learned that women face a 17% higher risk of death and a 73% greater chance of sustaining serious injuries than men in car accidents. My work at the time involved advocating for the use of data and design to tackle public issues, a practice we called ‘public interest technology.’ This experience made me believe that I could potentially save women’s lives by addressing this issue, especially since a well-designed solution already existed.

There is a company that creates ‘biofidelic’ crash test dummies. These dummies accurately replicate 95% of the female population, considering key anatomical differences between men and women. Men generally have stronger neck muscles, which reduce the likelihood of brain injuries from airbags. They also tend to be taller and broader, allowing them to sit in safer positions. On the other hand, women are often deemed ‘out of position’ drivers. Seatbelts often misalign, cutting into women’s internal organs. Men benefit from headrests that are properly positioned to avoid whiplash, while the unique spacing of women’s spines can lead to fractures, as happened in my case.

Until 2011, the use of female dummies was not compulsory in crash tests. Today, no American car manufacturers utilize biofidelic female dummies, as they can achieve a five-star crash test rating without them. I reached out to a former colleague, now the chief data officer in the Biden White House, hoping to make her aware of this data problem causing women’s deaths. Unfortunately, the administration was preoccupied with political agendas, disregarding public safety concerns.

I also engaged with officials at the Department of Transportation, including the deputy head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which assigns crash test safety ratings. These agencies primarily rely on dummies modeled after standard-size American males from the 1970s. Their female dummy only represents 5% of women. Those who do not conform to this standard—whether taller, shorter, heavier, lighter, female, or pregnant—are effectively overlooked in crash scenarios. The agency doesn’t require testing with female dummies in the driver’s seat, resulting in a misleading five-star safety rating.

The Transportation Department acknowledged the need for biofidelic dummies in a press release under the Trump administration but has yet to mandate their use. The bipartisan She DRIVES Act, proposed by several congresswomen and congressmen, has been introduced in Congress. However, no significant actions have been taken to enforce its implementation.

Despite these efforts, I have lost faith in the government’s ability to protect my health and well-being effectively. America’s road safety statistics are disheartening, with higher road death rates compared to countries like Mexico and Sierra Leone. The issue persists because of inadequate policies and outdated crash test standards. As a journalist, technologist, and policy strategist with experience in the Obama White House, I implore those in power to prioritize the lives and safety of women on the road.