# Safety Testing Customer Showcase
## DTS Internal Presentation - Ben (Application Engineer)
### Duration: 45 minutes

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# SLIDE-BY-SLIDE CONTENT WITH SPEAKER NOTES

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## SLIDE 1: Title Slide
**Title:** "Saving Lives, One Data Point at a Time"
**Subtitle:** Understanding Our Safety Testing Customers
**Presenter:** Ben, Application Engineer
**Company:** Diversified Technical Systems

---

## SLIDE 2: Opening Hook - The Numbers

### Content:
- **1970:** 4.74 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled
- **2019:** 1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled  
- **That's a 77% reduction in fatality rate**
- Despite 3x more miles driven annually (1.1 trillion vs 3.2 trillion)

### Speaker Notes:
> "Let me start with a number that should make everyone in this room proud to work here. In 1970, for every 100 million miles Americans drove, nearly 5 people died. Today, that number is just over 1. We drive three times as many miles, yet the fatality rate has dropped by 77%. This didn't happen by accident - it happened because of research, testing, and the relentless pursuit of data. And DTS is part of that story."

---

## SLIDE 3: The Dark Ages of Vehicle Safety

### Visual:
![[assets/1957_buick_dashboard.jpg|400]]
*1957 Buick Roadmaster dashboard - chrome everywhere, no safety padding*

![[assets/1957_chevy_styling.jpg|400]]
*1957 Chevrolet Bel Air - style over safety*

### Content:
**Pre-1950s Reality:**
- No seatbelts standard in vehicles
- Rigid steering columns (speared drivers in crashes)
- Solid steel dashboards
- No crumple zones
- Chrome and glass everywhere
- Philosophy: "The driver is the problem"

**1937:** 37,819 deaths with only 270 billion miles driven (14.0 deaths/100M miles)

### Speaker Notes:
> "Before we appreciate where we are, we need to understand where we started. In the 1930s through 1950s, cars were essentially steel boxes designed to look good and go fast. Safety was an afterthought. If you crashed, the car stayed mostly intact - but YOU didn't. Steering columns speared through drivers. Passengers hit chrome-plated steel dashboards. The industry's position? 'Crashes are caused by bad drivers.' Improve the driver, not the car."

---

## SLIDE 3B: The Cadaver Pioneers (Optional Slide)

### Visual:
![[assets/cadaver_crash_test.jpg|400]]
*Cadaver used during a frontal impact test (historical)*

### Content:
**Wayne State University - 1930s-1950s:**
- First serious research on crash injury mechanics
- Used human cadavers to study impact tolerance
- Ball bearings dropped on skulls to measure force thresholds
- Bodies dropped down elevator shafts onto steel plates
- Crude accelerometers attached to measure forces

**What They Learned:**
- Human injury thresholds for different body parts
- Skull fracture forces
- Chest compression limits
- Foundation for all crash test dummy design

**Albert King's 1995 Calculation:**
- For every cadaver used in research:
  - 61 people survive annually due to seatbelts
  - 147 survive due to airbags
  - 68 survive windshield impact
- ~8,500 lives saved annually from cadaver research (as of 1987)

### Speaker Notes:
> "Before we had crash test dummies, researchers had to use human cadavers - and sometimes themselves. Wayne State University pioneered this work in the 1930s and 40s. They dropped ball bearings on skulls to measure fracture thresholds. They sent bodies down elevator shafts to study impact forces. It sounds gruesome, but this research gave us the fundamental data about human injury tolerance that everything else is built on. Albert King calculated that cadaver research saves over 8,500 lives every year. For every single cadaver used, 61 people survive each year because of seatbelt designs, 147 because of airbag designs, and 68 survive windshield impacts. The ethical debates around this research were real, but the lives saved are undeniable."

---

## SLIDE 4: Col. John Paul Stapp - "The Fastest Man on Earth"

### Visual:
![[assets/john_stapp_portrait.jpg|300]]
*Col. John Stapp in Air Force uniform*

![[assets/john_stapp_rocket_sled.jpg|400]]
*Stapp riding the rocket sled at Edwards Air Force Base*

### Content:
**Key Facts:**
- USAF Flight Surgeon, Physician, Biophysicist (1910-1999)
- Began rocket sled deceleration experiments in 1947
- Personally rode the sled **29 times**
- Final ride (Dec 10, 1954): **46.2 g deceleration** - still a record for voluntary human exposure
- Reached 632 mph, stopped in 1.4 seconds
- Injuries: broken wrists, broken ribs, temporary blindness, lost fillings

### Speaker Notes:
> "Meet Colonel John Stapp - a man who literally put his body on the line for safety research. Starting in 1947, Stapp conducted rocket sled experiments to understand human tolerance to deceleration. But here's the remarkable thing - when he couldn't get enough volunteers, he rode the sled himself. 29 times. On his final ride in 1954, he accelerated to 632 miles per hour - faster than the land speed record at the time - then stopped in 1.4 seconds, experiencing 46.2 g's of deceleration. He broke bones, lost fillings, and temporarily lost his vision - but he survived. And he proved that humans could withstand far more than anyone believed."

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## SLIDE 5: Stapp's Legacy

### Content:
**What Stapp Proved:**
- Prior belief: Humans couldn't survive beyond 18g
- Stapp survived 46.2g (and believed humans could withstand more)
- Proper restraints are critical
- Backward-facing seats are safest (though airlines still don't use them)
- Led to ejection seat development for fighter pilots

**Quote:** "I felt a sensation in the eyes, somewhat like the extraction of a molar without anesthetic." - John Stapp, describing 46.2g

**Fun Fact:** Stapp popularized "Murphy's Law" - the principle came from his project

### Speaker Notes:
> "Stapp's work fundamentally changed what we knew about human survivability. Before his experiments, the accepted limit was 18g - anything beyond that was considered fatal. Stapp proved that was wrong. He also developed new harness designs, advocated tirelessly for seatbelts in cars, and his research led directly to fighter pilot ejection seats. After retiring from the Air Force, he was loaned to NHTSA to continue auto safety research. Oh, and one more thing - you've all heard of Murphy's Law? 'Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.' That originated on Stapp's project. He's the one who popularized it."

---

## SLIDE 6: Ralph Nader - "Unsafe at Any Speed" (1965)

### Visual:
![[assets/unsafe_at_any_speed_cover.jpg|300]]
*Unsafe at Any Speed - the book that changed everything (1965)*

![[assets/ralph_nader_1975.jpg|350]]
*Ralph Nader, consumer advocate and author*

### Content:

**The Controversy:**
- November 30, 1965: Book published, attacking auto industry
- Chapter 1: "The Sporty Corvair" - exposed dangerous swing-axle suspension
- Central thesis: Automakers prioritized style over safety
- Industry spent 23 cents per car on safety vs. $700 on annual styling changes

**GM's Response:**
- Hired private investigators to dig up dirt on Nader
- Surveillance, harassment, attempted entrapment
- GM President forced to apologize before Congress (1966)
- Nader sued and won $425,000 - used it to found Center for Auto Safety

### Speaker Notes:
> "In 1965, a young lawyer named Ralph Nader published a book that would change everything. 'Unsafe at Any Speed' was a scathing indictment of the auto industry. Nader documented how manufacturers prioritized style over safety, spending $700 per car on annual cosmetic changes while investing just 23 cents on safety. GM's response? They hired private investigators to follow Nader, tap his phones, and even hired women to try to entrap him. When this came to light, GM's president was hauled before Congress and forced to publicly apologize. Nader sued and won - and used the settlement to found the Center for Auto Safety, which still operates today."

---

## SLIDE 7: The Birth of Modern Safety Regulation

### Content:
**Timeline:**
- **1965:** Unsafe at Any Speed published
- **1966:** National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act signed
- **1966:** U.S. Department of Transportation created
- **1970:** NHTSA established (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)

**The Paradigm Shift:**
- Before: "Crashes are caused by bad drivers" (Education, Enforcement, Engineering of ROADS)
- After: "Crashworthiness" - design cars to protect occupants WHEN crashes occur

**Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS):** Now over 50 standards covering everything from windshield wipers to fuel system integrity

### Speaker Notes:
> "Nader's book, combined with growing public outrage, led to Congressional action. In 1966, President Johnson signed the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. The Department of Transportation was created that same year, and by 1970, NHTSA was established. This represented a fundamental shift in philosophy. The old 'Three E's' - Education, Enforcement, and Engineering - were all about blaming the driver. The new approach recognized that crashes WILL happen, so we need to design vehicles that protect people when they do. This philosophy - crashworthiness - is what our customers work on every day."

---

## SLIDE 8: The Seatbelt Revolution - Nils Bohlin

### Visual:
![[assets/seatbelt_three_point.jpg|400]]
*The modern three-point seatbelt - Nils Bohlin's life-saving invention (1959)*

### Content:

**The Inventor:**
- Nils Bohlin (1920-2002), Swedish engineer
- Previously designed ejection seats at Saab
- Hired by Volvo in 1958 as safety engineer
- Invented modern 3-point seatbelt in 1959

**The Patent Decision:**
- Volvo patented the design (US Patent 3,043,625)
- **Then made it available to all automakers for free**
- Volvo believed safety shouldn't be proprietary

**Impact:**
- NHTSA estimates seatbelts save ~15,000 lives per year in US alone
- Bohlin's study of 28,000 accidents: No belted occupants died below 60 mph if compartment stayed intact

### Speaker Notes:
> "While politicians debated, an engineer in Sweden was solving the problem. Nils Bohlin had spent years designing ejection seats at Saab - systems to get pilots OUT of aircraft. When he joined Volvo in 1958, he turned his attention to keeping people IN their vehicles safely. The result was the modern three-point seatbelt - the V-shaped design we all use today. Here's the remarkable part: Volvo patented it, then made the patent freely available to every automaker in the world. They believed something that important shouldn't be proprietary. Today, seatbelts save an estimated 15,000 lives per year in the US alone. Bohlin's invention is considered one of the most important safety innovations in history."

---

## SLIDE 9: Video Segment - Historical Perspective

### Content:
**VIDEO: 2-3 minutes**
Options:
1. Col. Stapp rocket sled footage (public domain, available on YouTube)
2. IIHS 50th Anniversary Test: 1959 Bel Air vs. 2009 Malibu
3. Compilation of early crash test footage

**Suggested:** IIHS 1959 vs 2009 test - powerful visual of progress

### Speaker Notes:
> "Let me show you just how far we've come. [PLAY VIDEO] In 2009, IIHS celebrated their 50th anniversary by crashing a 1959 Chevy Bel Air into a 2009 Chevy Malibu at 40 mph. The Bel Air completely collapses - the occupant compartment is destroyed. The Malibu? The driver probably walks away. This is what 50 years of safety research looks like. This is what our customers do."

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## SLIDE 10: The Modern Safety Ecosystem - Key Players

### Content:
**Regulatory/Government:**
- NHTSA (US) - Mandatory FMVSS standards, 5-star ratings
- Transport Canada
- UNECE (European regulations)
- JNCAP, KNCAP, ANCAP, etc.

**Independent Testing (Consumer Information):**
- IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) - Founded 1959
- Euro NCAP - Founded 1997
- Global NCAP programs

**Key Difference:**
- NHTSA: Minimum standards (pass/fail)
- IIHS/NCAP: Consumer ratings (competition for better)

### Speaker Notes:
> "Let me walk you through the modern safety ecosystem - because understanding this helps you understand our customers. There are two parallel tracks. First, government regulations - NHTSA in the US sets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. These are the minimum requirements every vehicle must meet. Pass or fail. But here's where it gets interesting - the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, IIHS, provides CONSUMER ratings. Their tests are often more demanding than government requirements, and their ratings directly affect buying decisions. This creates competitive pressure that pushes manufacturers beyond minimum compliance."

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## SLIDE 11: IIHS - Changing the Game

### Visual:
![[assets/iihs_crash_hall.jpg|400]]
*IIHS crash test facility - where vehicles earn their safety ratings*

![[assets/iihs_frontal_crash_test.jpg|400]]
*IIHS frontal crash test in progress*

### Content:
**IIHS History:**
- Founded 1959 by insurance industry
- Funding: Auto insurance companies (they pay claims, so they're motivated)
- William Haddon Jr. became president 1969, began crash testing

**Game-Changing Tests:**
- 1995: Moderate overlap frontal test (40% offset, deformable barrier)
- 2003: Side impact test
- 2009: Roof strength test
- **2012: Small overlap frontal test (25% offset)** - Most manufacturers failed initially
- 2021: Updated side test (heavier, faster)

**The Small Overlap Story:**
- First tests (2012): Only 3 of 11 luxury cars earned "Good" or "Acceptable"
- Exposed a gap in protection that NHTSA tests missed
- Manufacturers scrambled to redesign structures

### Speaker Notes:
> "IIHS deserves special attention because they've repeatedly pushed the industry forward. Their funding comes from insurance companies - the people who pay out when crashes happen. So they're highly motivated to reduce crash injuries. In 2012, IIHS introduced the small overlap frontal test. This simulates hitting a tree or pole with just 25% of the front end. When they first ran this test, most vehicles failed miserably - including luxury cars. It exposed a massive gap in protection that the existing tests didn't catch. Manufacturers had to completely redesign their structures. This is the competitive pressure that drives innovation."

---

## SLIDE 12: Our Customer Segments

### Content:
**1. Government/Regulatory**
- NHTSA Vehicle Research & Test Center (East Liberty, Ohio)
- Transport Canada
- JNCAP, KNCAP, etc.

**2. Academic/Research Institutions**
- Ohio State Injury Biomechanics Research Center
- Wayne State University Bioengineering Center
- University of Virginia Center for Applied Biomechanics
- Wake Forest University

**3. Independent Test Labs**
- Calspan (Buffalo, NY)
- MGA Research (Burlington, WI)
- Karco Engineering

**4. OEM Safety Labs**
- GM, Ford, Stellantis (US)
- Toyota, Honda, Nissan (Japan)
- VW, BMW, Mercedes (Germany)
- Hyundai, Kia (Korea)

### Speaker Notes:
> "So who are our customers? Let me break it down. Government labs like NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center set and verify standards. Universities conduct fundamental research on human injury tolerance - Ohio State, Wayne State, UVA - these institutions have been advancing biomechanics for decades. Independent test labs like Calspan and MGA conduct tests for multiple clients - they might test the same vehicle for IIHS ratings, for an OEM validation program, and for a supplier qualification all in the same month. And of course, every major automaker has their own safety testing facilities."

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## SLIDE 13: Customer Segments (Continued)

### Content:
**5. Insurance Industry**
- IIHS (Ruckersville, Virginia)
- Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI)

**6. Tier 1 Suppliers**
- Autoliv (airbags, seatbelts)
- ZF/TRW (occupant safety systems)
- Joyson Safety Systems
- Takata successor companies

**7. Beyond Automotive**
- Helmet manufacturers (NFL, NHL, cycling)
- Military (blast protection, ejection seats)
- Child seat manufacturers
- Sports equipment
- Aerospace

### Speaker Notes:
> "There's more. IIHS runs their own test facility in Virginia - one of the most sophisticated in the world. Tier 1 suppliers like Autoliv and ZF develop and validate restraint systems - they need data acquisition for component testing, sled testing, and full vehicle validation. And don't forget - safety testing extends well beyond cars. Our equipment is used to test NFL helmets, military blast protection, ejection seats, and playground equipment. Anywhere there's a question of 'what forces does the human body experience?' - that's where DTS fits."

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## SLIDE 14: The Economics of Safety Testing

### Content:
**What Things Cost:**

| Item | Approximate Cost |
|------|------------------|
| Full vehicle crash test | $50,000 - $500,000+ |
| Test vehicle (destroyed) | $30,000 - $80,000 |
| ATD (Hybrid III 50th Male) | $200,000 - $400,000 |
| ATD (THOR) | $500,000 - $800,000 |
| WorldSID 50th | $400,000+ |
| DTS data acquisition system | [Reference DTS pricing] |

**Why Data Acquisition Matters:**
- A crashed car is gone forever
- The DATA is what remains
- Every sensor, every channel, every data point must be right
- One bad test = $100K+ repeat cost

### Speaker Notes:
> "Let's talk money, because this helps explain why our customers care so much about data quality. A single crash test can cost anywhere from $50,000 to over half a million dollars, depending on the vehicle and test configuration. The test vehicle is destroyed - that's $30,000 to $80,000 gone. A Hybrid III dummy costs $200,000 to $400,000. The new THOR dummy? Up to $800,000. Here's the thing - once you've crashed the car, it's done. All you have left is the data. If a sensor failed, if a channel dropped out, if the data is questionable - you might have to run the entire test again. That's why our customers demand reliability and accuracy. The data acquisition system is a small fraction of the total test cost, but it's what captures ALL the value."

---

## SLIDE 15: Types of Crash Tests

### Visual:
![[assets/small_overlap_test.jpg|400]]
*IIHS small overlap frontal test - the test that changed vehicle design*

![[assets/roof_strength_test.jpg|400]]
*Roof strength/crush resistance test*

### Content:
**Frontal Impact:**
- Full frontal (NHTSA NCAP - 35 mph rigid barrier)
- Moderate overlap (IIHS - 40% offset, 40 mph)
- Small overlap (IIHS - 25% offset, 40 mph)
- Oblique (NHTSA proposed)

**Side Impact:**
- Moving deformable barrier (NHTSA/IIHS)
- Pole impact
- Updated IIHS test (2021): heavier, faster barrier

**Other:**
- Rear impact (head restraint whiplash)
- Roof crush/rollover
- Pedestrian protection
- Frontal collision avoidance (AEB testing)

### Speaker Notes:
> "Let me walk you through the main test types, because this is what our customers' equipment configurations are designed around. Frontal tests come in several flavors - full frontal into a rigid wall, offset into a deformable barrier, and the challenging small overlap test. Each stresses the structure differently and requires different instrumentation. Side impacts can be a moving barrier simulating a T-bone crash, or a pole simulating wrapping around a tree. IIHS recently updated their side test to be more demanding - heavier barrier, higher speed. Manufacturers had to redesign, and they needed data to do it."

---

## SLIDE 16: The ATD - "The Crash Test Dummy"

### Visual:
![[assets/sierra_sam.jpg|250]]
*Sierra Sam (1949) - the first crash test dummy*

![[assets/hybrid_iii_family.jpg|400]]
*The Hybrid III family - representing different human sizes*

![[assets/thor_dummy.jpg|350]]
*THOR dummy - the next generation of crash testing*

### Content:
**Evolution:**
- 1949: "Sierra Sam" - first crash test dummy
- 1971: Hybrid I
- 1972: Hybrid II  
- 1976: Hybrid III (still widely used today)
- 2020s: THOR (advanced thorax, more biofidelic)

**The Hybrid III Family:**
- 50th percentile male (most common)
- 95th percentile male
- 5th percentile female
- 6-year-old, 3-year-old, 12-month-old

**DTS Connection:**
- ATDs are mechanical bodies
- DTS provides the "nervous system" - the sensors that feel
- Accelerometers, load cells, displacement sensors
- We turn physical events into measurable data

### Speaker Notes:
> "The crash test dummy - officially called an Anthropomorphic Test Device or ATD - is a remarkable piece of engineering. The Hybrid III, introduced in 1976, is still the global standard for frontal impact testing. It comes in a family of sizes representing different human populations. The THOR dummy is newer, with more sophisticated chest instrumentation. But here's the key - these dummies are mechanical devices. They have no way to 'feel' or 'report' what happens to them without instrumentation. That's where DTS comes in. We provide the nervous system - the accelerometers in the head, the load cells in the neck and femurs, the chest deflection potentiometers. We turn a physical crash event into data that engineers can analyze."

---

## SLIDE 17: Beyond Automotive

### Visual:
![[assets/wiaman_dummy.jpg|400]]
*WIAMan dummy - military blast protection testing (developed with DTS)*

### Content:
**Sports:**
- NFL helmet testing (concussion research)
- Hockey helmet certification
- Bicycle helmet standards
- Equestrian helmets

**Military:**
- Blast/IED protection
- Vehicle survivability
- Ejection seat development
- Body armor testing

**Other:**
- Child car seats
- Playground equipment impact testing
- Aerospace

**Common Thread:** Human impact tolerance research - our core competency

### Speaker Notes:
> "Our technology extends well beyond automotive. The NFL has invested heavily in helmet testing after the concussion crisis - they need data on head acceleration and rotation. The military tests vehicle underbody protection against IEDs, body armor against ballistic impact, and ejection seats for pilot survivability. Child seat manufacturers must meet strict certification standards. Even playground equipment is impact-tested to injury standards. All of these applications share a common thread - understanding what forces the human body experiences and whether they exceed injury thresholds. That's biomechanics. That's what our customers do."

---

## SLIDE 18: The Impact - Lives Saved

### Content:
**The Numbers:**

| Metric | Then | Now | Change |
|--------|------|-----|--------|
| Deaths per 100M VMT | 4.74 (1970) | 1.10 (2019) | -77% |
| Annual deaths | 52,627 (1970) | 36,355 (2019) | -31% |
| VMT (billions) | 1,109 (1970) | 3,248 (2019) | +193% |

**Estimated Lives Saved (NHTSA estimates):**
- Seatbelts: ~15,000/year
- Airbags: ~2,500/year
- ESC (electronic stability control): ~2,200/year
- Improved structures: thousands more

**Total since 1970:** Hundreds of thousands of lives saved

### Speaker Notes:
> "Let's bring this back to impact. In 1970, we had about 53,000 traffic deaths with 1.1 trillion miles driven. In 2019 - before the pandemic skewed things - we had 36,000 deaths with over 3 trillion miles driven. The fatality RATE dropped 77%. If we still had 1970 fatality rates with today's driving, we'd have over 150,000 deaths per year instead of 36,000. That's over 100,000 lives saved ANNUALLY by safety improvements. Seatbelts alone save an estimated 15,000 lives per year. Airbags add another 2,500. Electronic stability control prevents rollovers. Better structures protect occupants. All of this comes from research, testing, and data."

---

## SLIDE 19: Our Role in the Ecosystem

### Content:
**DTS Equipment Is Used:**
- In virtually every major automotive safety lab worldwide
- By NHTSA, IIHS, Euro NCAP
- By every major OEM
- By leading universities and research institutions
- By Tier 1 suppliers

**What We Provide:**
- Precision data acquisition
- Reliability under extreme conditions
- The data that makes safety research possible

**The Bottom Line:**
"When a researcher needs to know exactly what forces a human body experiences in a crash - they trust DTS to capture that data accurately."

### Speaker Notes:
> "So where does DTS fit? Our equipment is in virtually every major safety lab in the world. When NHTSA runs a compliance test, when IIHS rates a vehicle, when a university studies injury biomechanics, when an OEM validates a new design - DTS data acquisition is capturing the critical measurements. We provide the precision and reliability that makes this research possible. When there's a crash, the car is destroyed. The data is what remains. Our job is to make sure that data is right."

---

## SLIDE 20: Closing - Why This Matters

### Content:
**Image:** Split image - crash test vs. family in car

**Remember:**
- Every test we support generates data
- That data drives design decisions
- Those decisions save lives
- Real people, real families

**We're not just selling data acquisition equipment.**
**We're part of a system that saves lives.**

### Speaker Notes:
> "I want to leave you with this thought. Every piece of equipment we ship, every support call we take, every application we help configure - it's part of a system that saves real lives. The engineer analyzing crash data isn't looking at abstract numbers - they're figuring out how to prevent someone's parent, child, or spouse from being killed or injured. From Colonel Stapp riding rocket sleds in the 1950s, to Nils Bohlin's three-point belt, to today's advanced restraint systems and crash avoidance technology - this is a field defined by people who dedicated their careers to protecting human life. We're part of that tradition. Thank you."

---

## SLIDE 21: Q&A

**Content:** Questions?

---

# APPENDIX

## Video Resources

### 1. Col. John Stapp Rocket Sled Footage (Highly Recommended)
**YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4D4rJIYyss
- Title: "Colonel John Stapp: The Fastest Man on Earth"
- Duration: ~4 minutes (can excerpt 1-2 min)
- Public domain footage from US Air Force
- Dramatic visuals of the actual 46.2g experiment
- Shows Stapp's face distortion under extreme g-forces

**Alternative:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1LO6uxy11I
- Shorter compilation of rocket sled runs

### 2. IIHS 1959 vs 2009 Crash Test (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - use this one!)
**YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joMK1WZjP7g
- Title: "1959 Chevrolet Bel Air vs. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu IIHS crash test"
- Duration: 1:43
- Official IIHS video
- **THE most powerful demonstration of 50 years of safety progress**
- Shows the 1959 Bel Air completely collapsing while Malibu stays intact
- Perfect for Slide 9 video segment

### 3. IIHS Small Overlap Test Compilation
**YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz4jVPQ8-jA
- Shows multiple vehicles in small overlap test
- Demonstrates why this test changed vehicle design

### 4. Modern Euro NCAP Crash Test Compilation
**YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ttkVRwOtVE
- High-speed camera footage
- Shows sophistication of modern testing protocols

### 5. How Crash Test Dummies Work
**YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN3HwopD9gI
- Explains ATD instrumentation and purpose
- Good for technical audiences interested in the "how"

### Video Usage Tips for Ben:
- **For this presentation:** Use the IIHS 1959 vs 2009 test (1:43) - it's the most impactful
- Play after Slide 8 (seatbelt section) or during Slide 9
- Can also show Stapp footage if time permits (excerpt 60-90 seconds)
- Always test video playback before the presentation

---

## Key Statistics Reference

### US Traffic Fatalities (Source: NHTSA/Wikipedia)
| Year | Deaths | VMT (billions) | Deaths/100M VMT |
|------|--------|----------------|-----------------|
| 1937 | 37,819 | 270 | 14.00 |
| 1950 | 33,186 | 458 | 7.24 |
| 1960 | 36,399 | 718 | 5.06 |
| 1970 | 52,627 | 1,109 | 4.74 |
| 1980 | 51,091 | 1,527 | 3.35 |
| 1990 | 44,599 | 2,144 | 2.08 |
| 2000 | 41,945 | 2,747 | 1.53 |
| 2010 | 32,999 | 2,967 | 1.11 |
| 2019 | 36,355 | 3,248 | 1.10 |

### Lives Saved Estimates (NHTSA)
- Seatbelts: ~15,000/year
- Airbags: ~2,500/year
- ESC: ~2,200/year

---

## Timeline of Key Events

### The Pioneers (1930s-1960s)
- **1930s:** Wayne State University begins cadaver crash research
- **1947:** John Stapp begins rocket sled experiments at Edwards AFB
- **1949:** Samuel Alderson creates "Sierra Sam" - first crash test dummy
- **1954:** Stapp achieves 46.2g deceleration - "Fastest Man on Earth"
- **1959:** Nils Bohlin invents 3-point seatbelt at Volvo; IIHS founded
- **1964:** Over 1 million steering column deaths recorded; GM introduces collapsible column

### The Regulatory Revolution (1965-1980)
- **1965:** Ralph Nader publishes "Unsafe at Any Speed"
- **1966:** National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act signed; DOT created
- **1966:** William Haddon appointed first NHTSA Administrator
- **1968:** FMVSS 208 requires seatbelts in all new cars
- **1969:** William Haddon becomes first president of IIHS
- **1970:** NHTSA established as independent agency
- **1971:** Hybrid I dummy introduced by GM
- **1972:** Hybrid II dummy - first FMVSS-compliant dummy
- **1976:** Hybrid III dummy introduced - still used today
- **1979:** NHTSA introduces US NCAP (first in world)

### The Modern Era (1980s-2000s)
- **1984:** New York passes first mandatory seatbelt law
- **1993:** GM discontinues live animal testing; others follow
- **1995:** IIHS introduces offset frontal crash test
- **1997:** Euro NCAP releases first ratings; Rover 100 receives 1-star
- **1998:** Euro NCAP moves operations to Brussels
- **2003:** IIHS introduces side impact test
- **2006:** C-NCAP (China) established
- **2007:** ESC becomes standard in US vehicles

### Recent Advances (2010s-2020s)
- **2012:** IIHS introduces small overlap frontal test
- **2013:** THOR-50M dummy deliveries begin
- **2014:** Euro NCAP includes Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- **2015:** WIAMan military blast dummy developed (with DTS)
- **2020:** Euro NCAP introduces Mobile Progressive Deformable Barrier
- **2021:** IIHS updates side impact test (heavier, faster)
- **2023:** THOR-5F - first true female crash test dummy
- **2023:** Bharat NCAP (India) launches

---

## Customer Examples (Verify with Sales/Marketing)

### Government
- NHTSA Vehicle Research & Test Center (East Liberty, OH)
- Transport Canada

### Academic
- Ohio State University - Injury Biomechanics Research Center
- Wayne State University
- University of Virginia - Center for Applied Biomechanics

### Independent Labs  
- Calspan (Buffalo, NY)
- MGA Research (Burlington, WI)
- Karco Engineering

### OEMs
- GM, Ford, Stellantis
- Toyota, Honda
- BMW, Mercedes, VW
- Hyundai, Kia

### Suppliers
- Autoliv
- ZF/TRW
- Joyson Safety Systems

---

## ATD (Crash Test Dummy) Details

### Visual Reference:
![[assets/atd_family.png|500]]
*The ATD family - representing different human sizes and crash scenarios*

![[assets/hybrid_ii_dummies.jpg|400]]
*Hybrid II dummies - early standardized crash test dummies*

![[assets/thor_male_female.jpg|400]]
*THOR-50M (male) and THOR-5F (female) - the next generation*

![[assets/worldsid_dummy.jpg|350]]
*WorldSID - international side impact dummy*

### History of ATD Development
| Year | Dummy | Significance |
|------|-------|--------------|
| 1949 | Sierra Sam | First crash test dummy, built by Samuel Alderson for USAF ejection seat testing |
| 1968 | VIP-50 | Built specifically for GM and Ford |
| 1971 | Hybrid I | GM combined best features of VIP and Sierra Stan |
| 1972 | Hybrid II | Improved shoulder, spine, knee; first FMVSS-compliant dummy |
| 1976 | Hybrid III | Current standard for frontal impact - still used globally today |
| 1990s | SID/EuroSID | Side Impact Dummies developed |
| 2000s | WorldSID | International harmonization effort |
| 2013 | THOR-50M | Advanced male dummy with 150+ data channels |
| 2015 | WIAMan | Military blast dummy (developed with DTS!) |
| 2023 | THOR-5F | First true female crash test dummy |

### Hybrid III Family Specifications
| Model | Height | Weight | Use Case |
|-------|--------|--------|----------|
| 95th Male | 188 cm (6'2") | 100 kg (220 lb) | Large adult male |
| 50th Male | 175 cm (5'9") | 78 kg (172 lb) | Average adult male - most common |
| 5th Female | 152 cm (5'0") | 50 kg (110 lb) | Small adult female |
| 10-year-old | - | 36 kg (79 lb) | Child |
| 6-year-old | - | 21 kg (46 lb) | Child |
| 3-year-old | - | 15 kg (33 lb) | Child |

### ATD Pricing (Approximate - Industry Estimates)
| Dummy Type | Approximate Cost | Notes |
|------------|------------------|-------|
| Hybrid III 50th Male | $200,000 - $400,000 | Most common, regulatory standard |
| Hybrid III 95th Male | $250,000 - $400,000 | Larger, more complex |
| Hybrid III 5th Female | $200,000 - $350,000 | Scaled from male design |
| THOR-50M | $500,000 - $800,000 | Most advanced, 150+ channels |
| THOR-5F | $500,000+ | New female design |
| WorldSID 50th | $400,000+ | Side impact, complex instrumentation |
| BioRID II | $200,000 - $300,000 | Rear impact/whiplash |
| Child dummies | $100,000 - $200,000 | Varies by size |
| WIAMan | ~$500,000+ | Military blast testing |

**Note:** Prices vary significantly based on instrumentation level, supplier, and market conditions. A fully instrumented dummy with all sensors can exceed these estimates.

### Key ATD Manufacturers
- **Humanetics** (USA/Global) - Largest, makes most major ATD types
- **JASTI** (Japan) - Japanese market
- **DTS** (USA) - WIAMan development partner, data acquisition systems

### Child Dummy Reference:
![[assets/child_dummy_booster.jpg|350]]
*Child crash test dummy in booster seat configuration*

![[assets/crabi_infant_dummy.jpg|300]]
*CRABI infant dummy for child seat testing*

### DTS Connection to ATDs
- DTS provides data acquisition systems used WITH ATDs
- SLICE NANO/SLICE6 systems are embedded in modern dummies
- WIAMan project: DTS partnered with U.S. Army to develop military blast dummy
- DTS sensors capture: accelerations, forces, moments, displacements, angular velocity

---

## Additional Safety Pioneers

### William Haddon Jr. (1926-1985) - "Father of Injury Epidemiology"
**Career:**
- MIT and Harvard educated (MD + epidemiology)
- First Administrator of NHTSA (1966-1969), appointed by LBJ
- Created the first Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)
- First President of IIHS (1969-1985)

**Key Contributions:**
- **Haddon Matrix**: Framework for classifying injury prevention strategies
  - Pre-event, Event, Post-event phases
  - Human, Vehicle, Environment factors
  - Still used worldwide in safety research
- Shifted focus from "driver error" to systemic safety analysis
- Pioneered drunk driving legislation
- Established motorcycle helmet requirements

**Quote context:** Haddon was instrumental in transforming safety research from anecdotal to scientific, applying epidemiological methods to crash analysis.

### Samuel W. Alderson (1914-2005) - "Father of the Crash Test Dummy"
- Founded Alderson Research Labs
- Created "Sierra Sam" in 1949 - the first crash test dummy
- Originally designed for USAF ejection seat testing
- Developed VIP-50 series for GM and Ford
- His work made standardized crash testing possible

### Lawrence Patrick (1920-2006) - "The Human Guinea Pig"
Wayne State University professor who personally endured:
- 400+ rocket sled rides
- Chest impacts from heavy metal pendulums
- Face impacts from pneumatic hammers
- Glass shrapnel exposure to simulate windshield failure

His motto: "I figured if I'm going to ask other people to do it, I should do it myself."

---

## Euro NCAP History and Global NCAP Programs

### Visual Reference:
![[assets/euro_ncap_logo.png|200]]
*Euro NCAP - European New Car Assessment Programme*

![[assets/crash_test_dummies_subaru.jpg|400]]
*Modern crash test with instrumented dummies*

### Euro NCAP (Founded 1996-1997)
- Started by UK Transport Research Laboratory
- First results released February 1997
- Based in Brussels (now Leuven, Belgium)
- Backed by EU governments and consumer organizations
- Has tested 1,800+ vehicles, published 600+ ratings
- **Estimated to have helped save 78,000+ lives in Europe**

**Key milestones:**
- 1997: First offset deformable barrier tests
- 2008: Child protection rating introduced
- 2012: Business/family van tests
- 2014: Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) added
- 2020: Mobile Progressive Deformable Barrier test introduced

**Game-changing moment:** When the Rover 100 (1980 design) received a 1-star rating in 1997, it was withdrawn from production shortly after. This demonstrated consumer rating power.

### Global NCAP Programs
| Program | Region | Founded |
|---------|--------|---------|
| NHTSA NCAP | USA | 1979 |
| Euro NCAP | Europe | 1996 |
| JNCAP | Japan | 1995 |
| ANCAP | Australia/NZ | 1999 |
| C-NCAP | China | 2006 |
| Latin NCAP | Latin America | 2010 |
| ASEAN NCAP | Southeast Asia | 2011 |
| Global NCAP | India/Africa | 2011 |
| Bharat NCAP | India | 2023 |

The proliferation of NCAP programs worldwide creates competitive pressure for automakers to improve safety globally, not just in regulated markets.

---

## Cadaver Research History

### Wayne State University Pioneers (1930s-1950s)
Wayne State University in Detroit conducted groundbreaking research using human cadavers to understand crash injury mechanics.

**Methods Used:**
- Steel ball bearings dropped on skulls to measure fracture thresholds
- Bodies dropped down elevator shafts onto steel plates
- Cadavers with crude accelerometers strapped into vehicles for crash tests
- Tests of physical properties of tissue

**Challenges:**
- Ethical and moral debates
- Most available cadavers were older adult males (not representative)
- Deceased accident victims couldn't be used (compromised by previous injuries)
- No two cadavers are the same - difficult comparison data
- Child cadavers extremely difficult to obtain and controversial to use

### Lawrence Patrick - Human Volunteer Testing
Wayne State professor who:
- Rode rocket sleds 400+ times
- Let himself be hit in the chest by heavy metal pendulums
- Allowed pneumatically driven hammers to strike his face
- Exposed to shattered glass to simulate window implosion
- Developed mathematical models for crash survivability

### Albert King's Calculation (1995 Journal of Trauma)
For every cadaver used in safety research:
- 61 people survive annually due to seatbelt improvements
- 147 people survive annually due to airbag designs
- 68 people survive windshield impacts
- **Total: ~8,500 lives saved annually** (as of 1987 design improvements)

### Animal Testing Era (1950s-1990s)
- Chimpanzees on rocket sleds
- Pigs used for steering wheel impact testing (similar internal structure to humans, can sit upright)
- Baboons used at University of Michigan
- Animals anesthetized during tests
- GM discontinued live animal testing in 1993
- Other manufacturers followed

### Transition to ATDs
Animal and cadaver testing provided the fundamental data needed to build accurate mechanical surrogates. Modern ATDs are validated against this biological data to ensure they respond like human bodies.

---

## Sources

1. Wikipedia - John Stapp
2. Wikipedia - Unsafe at Any Speed
3. Wikipedia - Nils Bohlin
4. Wikipedia - Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
5. Wikipedia - Motor vehicle fatality rate in U.S. by year
6. Wikipedia - Crash test dummy
7. Wikipedia - Hybrid III
8. IIHS official website (iihs.org)
9. NHTSA official website (nhtsa.gov)
10. Humanetics Group (humaneticsgroup.com)
11. Albert King, "Humanitarian Benefits of Cadaver Research on Injury Prevention," Journal of Trauma, 1995

---

## Notes for Ben

### Timing
- Opening (Slides 1-2): 2-3 min
- History (Slides 3-9): 15-17 min
- Modern Ecosystem (Slides 10-14): 12-15 min
- What They Test (Slides 15-17): 8-10 min
- Impact & Close (Slides 18-20): 3-5 min
- Q&A (Slide 21): 5+ min

### Video Placement
- Recommend placing IIHS 1959 vs 2009 video after Slide 8 (Seatbelt section)
- ~2-3 minutes
- Very powerful visual break before moving to modern ecosystem

### Audience Engagement Tips
- Mixed audience knowledge levels - don't assume everyone knows industry basics
- The historical stories (Stapp, Nader, Bohlin) are emotionally engaging
- Statistics become meaningful when tied to "lives saved"
- End on inspirational note - "we're part of this"

### Potential Questions to Prepare For
1. "What specific DTS products do these customers use?"
2. "How do we compare to competitors in this space?"
3. "Are there customer success stories we can share?"
4. "What's next in safety testing technology?"
5. "How has testing changed with electric vehicles?"

---

*Document prepared for DTS internal presentation*
*Last updated: February 2026*
