Science Section 3-3:  A Crash Course in Safety

-Through experiments called crash tests, and by studying actual car collisions, scientists have learned what happens to people in accidents.

-Researchers put lifelike dummies in cars and crash the cars into each other or into crash barriers.

-When a car traveling about 50 k/h collides head on with something solid, the car crumples, slows down , and stops within approximately 0.1 second,

-any passenger not wearing a set belt continues to move forward at the same speed the car was traveling because of inertia.

-The person putting on a seat belt will be attached to the car and will slow down as the car slows down.

-The force needed to slow a person from 50 km/h to zero in 0.1 second is equal to 14 times that person's weight.

-The belt gives a little as it restrains the person, increasing the time it takes.