As a doctoral student at Chalmers, Astrid Linder discovered that women were less well protected against whiplash injuries in road accidents than men. Her work to change this has now earned her the Alumni of the Year – For a Better World 2026 award.
Astrid Linder receives the Alumni of the Year – For a Better World 2026 award for her many years of work in road safety. Photo: Jonas Magnusson
When Astrid Linder began her doctoral studies at Chalmers in the 1990s, the task had already been defined. The researchers were to develop a crash test dummy to assess protection against whiplash injuries in low-speed collisions. The dummy would represent an average man.
But during her literature review, she discovered something that raised a new question. Women were less well protected against these injuries than men. The oldest reference she found dated back to 1969.
‘I thought the logical next step was to also develop a crash test dummy representing that part of the population,’ says Astrid Linder, who is now a professor at VTI and an adjunct professor at Chalmers.
That step would take around 25 years. Not because the research needed that much time, she explains – much of the evidence was already available.
‘Had funding been available, we could have had this 20 years ago.’
The knowledge was there, but the issue had to wait
To carry out the research, Astrid Linder and her colleagues also had to work to ensure that it was included in research funders’ calls for proposals. Progress came through two major EU projects and funding from organisations including Vinnova, the Swedish Transport Administration and Folksam.
She has encountered outright opposition, but more often her research has faced a different kind of obstacle. The issue has been considered important, while something else has taken priority.
‘By far the most common response is: Yes, this is very important, but right now we’re in a crisis,’ she says.
Cutbacks, investment in electrification and changing competitive conditions are among these crises. For a time, there was also a strong belief that new technology would eliminate collisions – and work on crash safety risked being seen as unnecessary.
For Astrid Linder, accident statistics have remained the firm point of reference.
‘These accidents happen. Lives are lost and people’s health suffers on the roads, and we can get better at preventing that.’
Astrid Linder (F96) receives the Alumni of the Year – For a Better World 2026 award for her pioneering work towards greater equality and safety on roads worldwide. Astrid Linder initiated and led the development of the world’s first physical crash test dummy based on the average woman. By challenging norms in road safety research, she has exposed a life-critical shortcoming in how vehicles are developed and tested: women have long been less well protected than men in road accidents. Her work has opened up new opportunities for the automotive industry to develop safety systems that protect everyone equally well, regardless of sex.
As a professor of road safety at VTI, an adjunct professor at Chalmers and an internationally recognised researcher, she works to reduce road injuries and save lives worldwide. Through international research collaborations, standardisation work and a sustained commitment to changing regulations, she demonstrates how engineering can be used to identify and address structural inequalities, and how technological innovation can contribute to a more equal society.
Astrid Linder is a role model for the Chalmers community through her scientific excellence, her courage to challenge established thinking and her ability to translate research into tangible benefits for society. Her work makes the world a safer place for road users – regardless of sex.
The right tools to identify the differences
On average, men and women differ in height, weight, body proportions and muscle strength, among other things. This affects the forces acting on the body in a collision. Some seats provide good protection for both groups, while others offer different levels of protection.
Crash test dummies representing both men and women make it possible to identify the best solutions for both groups and give consumers better information on which to base their choices.
‘Otherwise, we may have to wait seven to ten years before injury statistics show which solutions work best – that doesn’t drive innovation. We need to be able to highlight the solutions that work best and build on them.’
In 2012, Astrid Linder and her colleagues presented EvaRID, a digital model of an average woman. Testing institutes around the world are now requesting a physical dummy based on the model. The average female crash test dummy, SET 50F, presented in 2022, and its male counterpart are also in demand and are being used by both vehicle manufacturers and car seat developers.
A foundation from Chalmers
Astrid Linder studied Engineering Physics at Chalmers before continuing with doctoral studies in road safety. She describes the mathematics and physics in her education as an essential foundation for her work. Equally important are the habits she developed of making estimates, assessing plausibility and moving between detail and the bigger picture.
‘No one can intimidate me with equations.’
The doctoral project’s collaboration with industry, public authorities and insurance companies also gave her experience of different ways of thinking, presenting research and applying for funding. Her collaboration with her supervisor Mats Svensson, now a professor at Chalmers, has continued throughout her career.
‘Mats and I have definitely done this together. This is anything but something you do on your own.’
She also sees a role for technical universities in continuing to examine standards that are taken for granted – who is the technology designed for, and do the standards meet today’s needs?
Change, however, does not happen by itself. It depends on deliberate decisions.
‘I’m sometimes asked when what I’ve developed will be used. Quite soon or never is the answer – it’s up to us.’
The Alumni of the Year – For a Better World award will be presented at Chalmers Annual Academic Ceremony on 5 November.
The Alumni of the Year – For a Better World aims to recognize an alumnus or alumni who have worked to make the world a better place. This could be through helping others, inspiring interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), or in other ways, within or beyond their professional life, contributing to positive change and being a positive role model.
Criteria for the award:
The individual(s) must be an alumnus/alumni from Chalmers university of technology.
The individual(s) serve/serves as a positive role model for others.
The individual(s) have, within or outside their professional role:
created or developed projects for the benefit of others.
inspired and fostered an interest in STEM among younger generations.
contributed to the realization of Chalmers’ vision for 2041.
or otherwise worked to create positive change.