Researchers in China have sparked outrage after it emerged they have been using live pigs as crash test dummies.

In one case study, 15 young pigs were strapped into car seats for high-speed simulations, with seven dying as a result of the crash.

▪️The studies were conducted in 2017 and published online on Jan 28 2019: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13588265.2018.1479010

Not only were the terrified pigs subjected to the horrific conditions of the simulation, but they were reportedly also denied food and water in the hours leading up to the tests.

As well as being denied food in the 24 hours before the test, the pigs were also prevented from drinking any water six hours before. Researchers said they were given an anaesthetic to reduce ‘excitement and stress’.

The researchers justified the use of immature pigs by saying their anatomic structure was ‘similar’ to that of human children. They claimed the pigs were intended to ‘mimic children of six years old’ in the International Journal of Crashworthiness.

The scientists insisted they had followed US guidelines for the use of laboratory animals and said their study had been approved by an ethics committee. However, the practice of using pigs and other animals in crash tests in the US was ended in the 1990s.