Motor insurance: Virtual bodies to make cars safer

Thursday, 13 March 2008

A global consortium of car and parts makers has asked the scientific community to help improve the security of vehicles by providing better models of the human body

The group hopes that some of the 40 research groups asked to create the models will provide accurate ways of testing car safety and minimising accident related injuries and fatalities.

Safer cars could see the medical component of car insurance get cheaper as hospital bills shrink.

DaimlerChrysler AG, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Renault SA, Takata, Toyota and TRW Inc joined last year and have decided to jointly contribute up to $18 million (£8.98 million) in order to research these new security testing methods.

It is hoped that by working together, auto makers will speed up the research which will provide incredibly detailed data including tissue level damage.

The first stage, set to be completed by 2011, will include modelling small, medium and large male and female bodies.
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