 are obese, with a BMI over 30. Seatbelts and airbags are normally optimised for adults weighing 11.5st. Safety ratings system Euro NCAP will announce new measures this week. It said: 'Restraints optimised for the average-sized driver do not necessarily work equally well for shorter or taller drivers, or, for that matter, for obese or more vulnerable older drivers.'){kind=link}
CRASH test dummies are getting heavier to reflect rising obesity.
Mock collisions help calibrate seatbelts and airbags but mannequins are now deemed too lightweight to protect bigger Brits.
The heaviest weigh 15.5st – but will soon be bloated up to 19.5st.
Figures from the US suggest the obese are 79 per cent more likely to be hurt in a crash than the average male.
More than a quarter of adults in England (28 per cent) are obese, with a BMI over 30.