Crash test dummies have a long and violent history. The first crash test dummy was, maybe not surprisingly, a human named Bridgette Driscol. She was the first person to die in a car crash in 1896. After that, people realized cars might be dangerous, so they started a safety program. And that’s when the dummies were invented right? Nope. First, they used pigs. For some weird reason, they decided that was messed up, so they invented the dummy.

The first crash test dummy, Sierra Sam, was created in the 1940s and he was a hit. They used him first to test aircraft seat ejectors. Then he moved on to cars, and his family quickly expanded. In the 1950s, it was common practice to paint the dummies with eyes that made them intentionally look scared, which is hilarious and creepy to look at. Even more unsettling is the fact that they didn’t want to build child-sized dummies, so initially they just used baby dolls.

Since then, they’ve been using dummies to test textile fires, commercial airlines, roller coasters, and just about anything else you can think of. The pictures are cool, creepy, and kinda funny. 

Check it out, and salute the dolls throughout history who died to make your minivan safer.