Through the hundred plus year history of the automobile, safety has always been a serious concern. In fact, the fatality rate of 15.6 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in the 1930s was many times our current rate of 1.8, even though we have millions of more cars on the road today. This notable progress is due in part to manufacturers diligent efforts to design cars so that fewer injuries occur during accidents. Crash test dummies, like those developed and manufactured by First Technology Safety Systems (FTSS), play a major role in making cars safer.
    1930s Fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles reach 15.6. Auto designers begin to pay serious attention to safety.
    1949 - Alderson Research Labs (ARL) Sierra Engineering создала "Sierra Sam", первый манекен для проведения тестов на крушение.
    В начале 1950-ых Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories изучают статистику аварий, чтобы определить, как делать автомобили более безопасными. "Gard Dummy" - манекен для краш-тестов. Создан Grumman-Alderson.
    1950 - На территории военной базы Holloman проводятся первые краш-тесты, с использованием манекенов ARL VIP 50th Dummy и Sierra Sam.
    В конце 1950-ых появляются первые автомобили с некоторыми системами безопасности.
    1950-1970 Automotive crash test dummies are developed based on aerospace models. 50th and 95th percentile males and 5th percentile female dummies produced.
    1971 - Появляется Hybrid I, вобравший в себя стандарты ARL и Sierra.
    1972 - Hybrid II становиться эволюционным продолжением. Улучшены плечевые и коленные суставы, а также позвоночник. Информация, которую выдает новое поколение манекенов полнее, чем у Hybrid I.
    1973 The standard Hybrid II 50th percentile dummy is introduced. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) contracts with General Motors to produce improved heads, necks, joints, ribs, knees, human-like posture and a new spine design. (ATD 502) Highway Safety Research Institute (HSRI) receives contract from Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association (MVMA) to develop a 50th percentile male dummy with a new head, neck, thorax, spine, lumbar, pelvis, legs and joints.
    1976 Hybrid III is introduced. General Motors improves ATD 502 with a new neck, thorax and more transducers for more extensive data.
    1979-1987 NHTSA contracts with the University of Michigan Transportation Institute (UMTRI) to produce a new side impact dummy (SID). It is a Hybrid II type dummy with a new thorax.
    1988-1989 Humanetics and SAE develop Hybrid III type small female and large male scaled dummies from Hybrid III 50th dummy. General Motors and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) develop Biosid, a Hybrid III based biofidelic side-impact dummy. AATD (advanced dummy project) completed. University of Michigan and Wayne State University receive NHTSA contract to develop an advanced dummy. First Technology Safety Systems is a subcontractor.
    1995-1996 First Technology Safety Systems and Occupant Safety Research Partnership jointly develop the SID IIs, a small adult/teenager side impact dummy for side air bag development.
    1996 First Technology Safety Systems develops the FT-Arupв„ў FE-Model Series, a highly precise and detailed finite element crash test dummy computer model.

Подробная история создания манекенов для краш-тестов здесь. P.S. Пока на английском.
Виртуальное моделирование поведения манекена при краш-тесте.

    Early in the century, there were virtually no safety regulations in place. During the 1930s, the industry took notice of very high injury and fatality rates. After World War II, action was taken to begin making cars safer. A major emphasis was on reducing injuries incurred when in an accident. Crash test dummies, such as those developed by First Technology Safety Systems (FTSS), have contributed greatly to identifying ways of making cars safer. Regulations also have played a large part in improving automobile safety. Following are some key regulatory actions that have taken place:
    1966 - President Lyndon Johnson signs the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, requiring the government to set safety standards for new vehicles.
    1969 - Nixon administration proposed passive restraints to protect unbelted passengers.
    1971 - Ford builds an experimental air bag fleet.
    1973 - General Motors manufactures 1,000 Chevrolets with experimental air bags.
    1973 - The first passenger car with an air bag sold commercially is an Oldsmobile Toronado.
    1977 - Carter Transportation Secretary Brock Adams announces that all new cars sold in US must have front air bags or passive safety belts that fasten automatically by 1984.
    1981 - Reagan administration delays passive restraint rule by one year. It is later canceled altogether.
    1983 - Supreme Court rules against the Reagan Administration and orders NHTSA to review the case for air bags.
    1986 - NHTSA allows auto makers to meet the passive restraint requirement with a driver side only air bag through 1990.
    1987 - NHTSA extends the driver side only air bag requirement through 1994.
    1988 - Chrysler becomes first US auto maker to make driver side air bags standard equipment.
    1991 - President Bush signs a law requiring air bags in all cars as of 1998, and truck as of 1999.
    1993 - Auto makers required to begin phasing in of passenger air bags in cars and light trucks.