New Crash Test Dummy Is 100 Pounds Heavier To Protect Overweight Americans

PLYMOUTH, Mich. (CBS) -- The crash test dummy is getting some body work.

For nearly 50 years, a 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound dummy has been the standard. But with Americans getting taller, heavier and older, changes may be coming.

CBS News reports that Humanetics, the leading maker of crash test dummies, has developed a new dummy that's more like a modern day driver.

It's about 100 pounds heavier and a few inches taller. They'll also developing a dummy to replicate an elderly person with a more fragile body.

"We have found that obese people, elderly people, people who don't fit the exact size and shape are more at risk in a vehicle right now," Humanetics' Christopher O'Connor tells CBS News.

It'll likely take years to get regulatory approval, but car makers are already testing the bigger dummy out.