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ANCAP has a team of committed helpers to provide us with vital insights into what happens in a crash – the ANCAP crash test dummy family.

Crash test dummies are used in all physical crash tests to measure the forces and likely injuries a driver, passenger, or vulnerable road user - such as a pedestrian or cyclist - may sustain during a crash. Data gathered from our dummies is assessed, along with an inspection of physical vehicle deformation, on-board hazards and performance of in-built restraint systems. Scores are then determined for each respective crash test.

The crash test dummies used by ANCAP have experienced hundreds of crashes first-hand. Their role is critical, as each dummy provides important information about the level and type of protection provided to them by the vehicle.

Different dummies for different jobs

Despite their appearance, the dummies used in our destructive crash tests are highly sophisticated and are fitted with an array of sensors and data acquisition systems to tell us when and where they are 'hurt' in a crash. Other members of our dummy family are less sophisticated but equally important as they help determine how well a vehicle can prevent a crash with a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist or another vehicle.

The gender mix

A range of male and female, adult and child dummies are used in ANCAP tests. Beyond the physical gender of the dummies we use, ANCAP's injury tolerance levels are developed using real world injury data across genders and a range of ages. This means that each dummy provides information about injury implications for a wider range of occupants than the dummy's descriptive name might suggest.