noisedestroyers/dts-2026Presentation

Fork 0

Files

noisedestroyers 1cb4ea07eb first commit

2026-02-15 10:03:46 -05:00

79 KiB

Raw Blame History

Safety Testing Customer Showcase

DTS Internal Presentation - Ben (Application Engineer)

Duration: 45 minutes

SLIDE-BY-SLIDE CONTENT WITH SPEAKER NOTES

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 1957 Buick Roadmaster dashboard - chrome everywhere, no safety padding

!assets/1957_chevy_styling.jpg 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 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 Col. John Stapp in Air Force uniform

!assets/john_stapp_rocket_sled.jpg 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."

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 Unsafe at Any Speed - the book that changed everything (1965)

!assets/ralph_nader_1975.jpg 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 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:

Col. Stapp rocket sled footage (public domain, available on YouTube)
IIHS 50th Anniversary Test: 1959 Bel Air vs. 2009 Malibu
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."

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."

SLIDE 11: IIHS - Changing the Game

Visual:

!assets/iihs_crash_hall.jpg IIHS crash test facility - where vehicles earn their safety ratings

!assets/iihs_frontal_crash_test.jpg 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."

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."

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 IIHS small overlap frontal test - the test that changed vehicle design

!assets/roof_strength_test.jpg 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 Sierra Sam (1949) - the first crash test dummy

!assets/hybrid_iii_family.jpg The Hybrid III family - representing different human sizes

!assets/thor_dummy.jpg 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 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	Notes
1921	13,253	55	24.09	Early automobile era
1937	37,819	270	14.00	Pre-safety features
1950	33,186	458	7.24	Post-war boom
1960	36,399	718	5.06	Pre-Nader
1970	52,627	1,109	4.74	Peak deaths (post-NHTSA)
1972	54,589	1,264	4.32	All-time peak US deaths
1980	51,091	1,527	3.35	Seatbelt laws starting
1990	44,599	2,144	2.08	Airbags spreading
2000	41,945	2,747	1.53	ESC emerging
2010	32,999	2,967	1.11	Historic low rate
2011	32,479	2,946	1.10	Lowest since 1949
2019	36,096	3,225	1.11	Pre-pandemic baseline
2020	38,824	2,830	1.37	Pandemic spike (less driving, more speeding)
2021	42,939	3,212	1.33	Highest deaths since 2005
2022	42,795	3,270	1.31	Slight improvement

The "What If" Calculation

If we still had 1970 fatality rates today:

1970 rate: 4.74 deaths per 100M VMT
2019 VMT: 3.225 trillion miles
Hypothetical deaths: 152,865 per year
Actual deaths (2019): 36,096
Lives saved by safety improvements: ~116,769 per year

Lives Saved by Technology (NHTSA Estimates, Annual US)

Technology	Lives Saved/Year	First Required	Notes
Seatbelts	~15,000	1968	Single most effective safety device
Frontal airbags	~2,790	1998	Driver + passenger
Side airbags	~425	Voluntary	Growing adoption
ESC (Electronic Stability Control)	~2,202	2012	Prevents rollovers
Daytime running lights	~400-600	Voluntary	Visibility improvement
ABS (Anti-lock brakes)	~200-400	Voluntary	Varies by study
Improved structures	Thousands	Ongoing	Hard to quantify separately

Cumulative Lives Saved (NHTSA Estimates)

Seatbelts (1960-2012): 329,715 lives
Airbags (1987-2012): 37,409 lives
Child restraints (1975-2012): 10,421 lives
Motorcycle helmets (1976-2012): 37,000+ lives

Seatbelt Effectiveness

Crash Type	Risk Reduction (Belted vs. Unbelted)
Fatal injury - front seat	45% reduction
Moderate-to-critical injury	50% reduction
Ejection (fatal in 77% of cases)	Seatbelts prevent 30x more
Rollover fatality	77% reduction for belted occupants

Seatbelt Usage Rates Over Time

Year	Usage Rate	Notes
1983	14%	Before state laws
1984	14%	NY passes first mandatory law
1990	49%	More states add laws
1995	68%	Primary enforcement spreading
2000	71%	Continuing education campaigns
2010	85%	Click It or Ticket campaigns
2020	90%	Near saturation
2022	92%	Current level

The Unbelted Problem

47% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2021 were unbelted
Unbelted occupants are 30x more likely to be ejected
Pickup truck occupants have lowest belt use (88%)
Nighttime drivers have lower belt use (84%)
Rural drivers have lower belt use (87%)

Child Safety Statistics

Metric	Data
Lives saved by child seats (1975-2021)	11,606
Car seats reduce fatal injury risk (infants)	71%
Car seats reduce fatal injury risk (1-4 years)	54%
Booster seats reduce injury risk (4-8 years)	45%
Children in rear seat survival advantage	27% safer than front seat

Airbag Statistics

Metric	Data
Lives saved by frontal airbags (1987-2017)	50,457
First fatality from airbag	1990
Peak airbag fatalities	1997 (53 deaths)
Deaths from airbags after "depowering"	<10/year
Airbags + seatbelt effectiveness	61% reduction in fatality risk
Airbag alone (no belt) effectiveness	Only 14% reduction

Key insight: Airbags are a supplement to seatbelts, not a replacement. "Airbag" without "seatbelt" = limited protection.

Rollover Statistics

Rollovers are only 3% of crashes but 30% of fatalities
ESC reduces rollover crashes by 75-80%
Roof strength standards (FMVSS 216) upgraded in 2009
Modern vehicles must withstand 3x vehicle weight on roof
Prior to 2009, standard was only 1.5x vehicle weight

Pedestrian & Cyclist Deaths (Growing Concern)

Year	Pedestrian Deaths	Cyclist Deaths	Combined
2010	4,302	618	4,920
2015	5,494	818	6,312
2019	6,205	846	7,051
2021	7,388	966	8,354

Trend: Occupant deaths decreasing, vulnerable road user deaths increasing. SUVs and distracted driving are factors.

Global Statistics

Country/Region	Traffic Deaths (2019)	Deaths per 100k pop	Notes
United States	36,096	11.0	Lagging peer nations
Germany	3,046	3.7	Autobahn but safer
United Kingdom	1,752	2.6	Strong enforcement
Sweden	221	2.2	Vision Zero leader
Japan	3,215	2.5	Dense but safe
China	~250,000 (est.)	17.4	Rapidly improving
India	~150,000	11.1	Growing motorization
World Total	1.35 million	17.4	Per WHO

US vs. Peer Nations: The US has 2-4x the fatality rate of other wealthy nations. Contributing factors include vehicle size, road design, speed limits, enforcement, and healthcare access.

Economic Cost of Crashes

Metric	Amount
Total cost of US crashes (2019)	$340 billion
Cost per fatal crash	$1.75 million
Cost per injury crash	$23,900
Cost per property-damage crash	$4,700
Lost workplace productivity	$57.6 billion/year
Medical costs	$18.4 billion/year

Historic Milestones in Death Rates

Milestone	Year	Rate
First recorded US traffic death	1899	N/A
10,000 deaths/year	1918	-
20,000 deaths/year	1925	-
30,000 deaths/year	1930	-
40,000 deaths/year	1961	-
50,000 deaths/year	1966	5.50
Peak deaths (54,589)	1972	4.32
First year below 40,000	1992	1.75
Lowest rate ever recorded	2011	1.10

The Vietnam War Comparison

Vietnam War US deaths (1964-1973): ~58,000
US traffic deaths in same period: ~500,000
Ralph Nader's point: "More Americans die on our highways than in wars"

Fascinating Facts & Surprising Takeaways

The Counterintuitive Facts

1. "Safer cars don't make safer drivers"

Early researchers feared safety features would cause "risk compensation"
Theory: Drivers would take more risks if they felt protected
Reality: Mixed evidence. Seatbelts don't make people drive faster
ABS may cause slightly more aggressive driving, but net effect is positive

2. "The deadliest seat is front passenger, not driver"

Driver instinctively steers to protect themselves
Front passenger often takes the worst impact
This is why passenger airbags were initially more lethal to small occupants
"Depowered" airbags (1998+) addressed this issue

3. "Your car is designed to destroy itself to save you"

Crumple zones are intentionally weak
A car that "looks bad" after a crash often performed well
A pristine-looking post-crash car may have transferred all force to occupants
Modern cars are totaled more often - but occupants walk away

4. "The steering column killed more people than any other component"

Before collapsible columns: steering shaft acted as a spear
By 1964: 1+ million deaths attributed to steering column impalement
GM's 1967 collapsible column was a breakthrough
Simple engineering change saved thousands annually

5. "Seatbelts were invented in 1885 - but ignored for 70 years"

First patent: 1885 (for horse-drawn carriages!)
Aircraft seatbelts: common by 1930s
Cars: not standard until 1968
Why the delay? Industry believed "crashes are unsurvivable anyway"

6. "The windshield is designed to be hit - once"

Laminated safety glass (1919): holds together when broken
Tempered side glass: shatters into small cubes
A cracked windshield has lost structural integrity
Modern windshields contribute up to 30% of roof strength

Surprising Statistics

Murphy's Law Origin

Edward Murphy was an engineer on John Stapp's rocket sled project
After a sensor was wired backward, Murphy said: "If there are two ways to do something, and one will cause a disaster, someone will do it that way"
Stapp later quoted this at a press conference
"Murphy's Law" became globally famous

The Three-Second Rule

Most crash decisions happen in under 1 second
Human reaction time: 0.7-1.5 seconds
At 60 mph, a car travels 88 feet per second
This is why crash avoidance tech (AEB) matters - machines react in milliseconds

Dummy Durability

A Hybrid III can be crashed 50+ times before replacement
Individual components wear out faster (skin, ribs, neck)
Calibration required after every test
A dummy's "service life" may include hundreds of impacts

The Color of Safety

White cars are 12% less likely to be in crashes (visibility)
Black cars have the highest crash rate
Yellow/lime-green has best visibility (taxis, school buses)
Silver reflects headlights well at night

Speed and Survival

Risk of death doubles with every 10 mph above 50
30 mph crash: 5% fatality risk
40 mph crash: 15% fatality risk
50 mph crash: 35% fatality risk
70 mph crash: 70%+ fatality risk

Industry Myths That Were Wrong

Myth 1: "Safety doesn't sell"

Based on Ford's 1956 experience
Reality: Volvo built its entire brand on safety
IIHS ratings now directly affect sales
Tesla markets Autopilot safety heavily

Myth 2: "Airbags are too expensive"

Industry fought airbags for 20+ years
Predicted cost: $500-800 per vehicle
Actual cost today: $200-300 for basic system
Economies of scale proved industry wrong

Myth 3: "People won't wear seatbelts"

1983 usage: 14%
2022 usage: 92%
Laws + education + enforcement worked
"Click It or Ticket" campaign was pivotal

Myth 4: "Small cars are always more dangerous"

Partially true due to physics (mass advantage)
But modern small cars far safer than old large cars
A 2023 Honda Civic beats a 1985 Lincoln Town Car
Structure design matters more than pure size

Myth 5: "SUVs are safer because they're bigger"

SUVs had higher fatality rates in 1990s-2000s (rollovers)
Modern SUVs with ESC are much safer
But SUVs are more deadly to other vehicles and pedestrians
"Safety for me, danger for thee" problem

The Human Body's Crash Tolerance

What the body can survive (with proper restraint):

Force Type	Survivable Limit	Notes
Head acceleration	80g (brief)	Brain injury threshold ~60g
Chest acceleration	60g	Rib fractures at 40g
Chest compression	63mm (2.5")	Heart/lung damage beyond
Femur load	10 kN	Femur fracture threshold
Neck tension	3.3 kN	Varies by direction
Neck compression	4.0 kN	Spinal injury risk

John Stapp's 46.2g (1954):

Peak deceleration: 46.2g
Duration: ~1 second
Stapp's injuries: Broken ribs, broken wrists, detached retinas (temporary blindness)
Recovery: Complete within weeks
His insight: "The human body can take far more than we thought - IF the force is distributed correctly"

Famous Crash Tests That Changed History

1. The Ford Pinto (1977)

Internal memo calculated $11/car fix vs. $200,000/death lawsuit
Company chose to accept deaths rather than fix fuel tank
27 deaths attributed to design
Criminal prosecution of Ford (acquitted, but reputation destroyed)
Led to stricter fuel system integrity standards (FMVSS 301)

2. The Audi 5000 "Unintended Acceleration" (1986)

60 Minutes segment blamed car for accidents
Actually caused by driver error (pedal misapplication)
But Audi sales dropped 80%
Led to brake-shift interlock (must press brake to shift from Park)
Now standard on all vehicles

3. IIHS 1959 Bel Air vs. 2009 Malibu (2009)

50th anniversary demonstration
1959 car: complete structural collapse, certain death
2009 car: intact cabin, survivable injuries
Video has 30+ million views - most powerful safety demonstration ever

4. Euro NCAP Rover 100 (1997)

1980s design tested in 1997
Received 1 star (out of 4 at the time)
Rover pulled the car from production within months
Proved consumer ratings could kill bad products

5. IIHS Small Overlap Test (2012)

First tests: Luxury cars failed miserably
BMW, Mercedes, Audi - all "Poor" or "Marginal"
Exposed that existing tests missed real-world crash modes
Industry redesigned structures within 3 years

The Gender Gap in Crash Testing

The Problem:

Most crash tests use 50th percentile male dummy (5'9", 175 lbs)
"Small female" dummy (Hybrid III 5th female) is just a scaled-down male
Women are 17% more likely to die in equivalent crashes
Women are 73% more likely to be seriously injured

Why It Matters:

Female anatomy differs: different hip structure, neck strength, breast tissue
Women sit closer to steering wheel (shorter legs)
Seatbelt geometry optimized for male torsos
Pregnant women have unique injury patterns

The Solution (In Progress):

THOR-5F: First "true female" dummy (2023)
Not just a scaled male - different skeletal structure
Includes breast representation
NHTSA considering requiring female dummy in tests
Euro NCAP now requires small female dummy in driver seat tests

Quote: "For decades, the 'average' human in crash testing has been male. Women have been, quite literally, crash test dummy afterthoughts." - Dr. Caroline Criado-Perez

Drunk Driving: A Separate Epidemic

Statistics:

1982: 21,113 alcohol-related deaths (49% of all traffic deaths)
2019: 10,142 alcohol-related deaths (28% of all traffic deaths)
MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving): Founded 1980, transformed policy
Legal BAC limit lowered: 0.15% → 0.10% → 0.08%

What Worked:

Stricter laws (implied consent, per se laws)
Ignition interlock devices
Sobriety checkpoints
Social stigma change (designated drivers)
Rideshare apps (Uber/Lyft) reduced drunk driving

What Didn't Work (As Well):

Education alone has limited effect
"Scared straight" programs (minimal impact)
Voluntary pledges

The Electric Vehicle Safety Question

New Challenges:

Battery fires (thermal runaway)
Heavy battery weight (F-150 Lightning: 6,500 lbs)
Low center of gravity (different crash dynamics)
Silent operation (pedestrian detection)
First responder risks (high voltage)

New Opportunities:

No engine = larger crumple zone
Battery placement can improve structure
No fuel fire risk (but battery fire is different)
Over-the-air safety updates

Early EV Crash Test Results:

Tesla Model 3: 5 stars NHTSA, Top Safety Pick+ IIHS
Rivian R1T: Top Safety Pick+
EVs generally performing well
But long-term battery integrity after crashes is unknown

Autonomous Vehicle Safety Promise

The Pitch:

94% of crashes involve human error
Eliminate human error = eliminate 94% of crashes
Potential to save 30,000+ lives per year in US alone

The Reality (So Far):

Waymo: ~7 million autonomous miles (as of 2023)
Cruise: suspended operations after pedestrian dragging incident (2023)
Tesla Autopilot: hundreds of crashes under investigation
Uber self-driving: killed pedestrian in 2018 (safety driver distracted)

The Question:

How safe is "safe enough" for autonomous vehicles?
Humans cause 1.1 deaths per 100 million miles
Should AVs be required to beat that? By how much?
Who is liable when an AV crashes?

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 The ATD family - representing different human sizes and crash scenarios

!assets/hybrid_ii_dummies.jpg Hybrid II dummies - early standardized crash test dummies

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

!assets/worldsid_dummy.jpg 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 Child crash test dummy in booster seat configuration

!assets/crabi_infant_dummy.jpg 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

Hugh DeHaven (1895-1980) - "Father of Crashworthiness"

The Remarkable Story:

Survived a mid-air collision in 1917 as a WWI pilot trainee
His aircraft fell from 500 feet - the other pilot and his own observer died
DeHaven walked away with minor injuries
Spent the rest of his life asking: "Why did I survive?"

Key Contributions:

Founded the Crash Injury Research Project at Cornell University (1942)
First to systematically study survivable crashes
Coined the concept of "packaging" humans for crashes
Studied people who survived falls from great heights (suicides who lived)
Discovered the "second collision" - occupant hitting interior after vehicle stops
His research directly led to padded dashboards, collapsible steering columns, and door locks

Famous Quote: "The human body can tolerate far greater forces than we assumed - if the forces are distributed properly."

Impact: DeHaven's work transformed thinking from "crashes are unsurvivable" to "crashes can be designed for survival."

Claire Straith (1891-1958) - "The Plastic Surgeon Who Changed Cars"

Background:

Detroit plastic surgeon who reconstructed faces of crash victims
Saw firsthand the devastating injuries caused by dashboard knobs, rigid steering wheels, and protruding controls

Activism:

In the 1930s, began advocating for safer car interiors
Wrote articles in medical journals documenting crash injuries
Personally lobbied automakers (mostly ignored)
Designed his own "Straith Safety Package" - padded dashboards, recessed knobs, seatbelts

Partnership with Walter Chrysler:

Convinced Chrysler to offer optional safety features in 1937
First manufacturer to offer padded dashboards
Sales were poor - consumers didn't want to pay extra for safety
Industry concluded "safety doesn't sell" (a view that persisted for decades)

Robert McNamara (1916-2009) - The Unlikely Safety Champion

Before Politics:

President of Ford Motor Company (1960-1961)
One of the "Whiz Kids" who modernized Ford after WWII

Safety Advocacy at Ford:

Commissioned Cornell's crash research
Pushed for safety features: padded dashboards, deep-dish steering wheels, optional seatbelts
Ford introduced seatbelts as a $27 option in 1956
Marketed safety with the slogan "Safety Sells"

The Sales Disaster:

1956 Ford outsold by Chevrolet
GM's response: "McNamara is selling death"
Industry concluded (wrongly) that safety features hurt sales
This myth persisted until Volvo proved otherwise decades later

Later Career: Became Secretary of Defense under JFK and LBJ (Vietnam War architect)

Béla Barényi (1907-1997) - "Father of Passive Safety"

The Visionary Engineer:

Austrian-Hungarian engineer who spent career at Mercedes-Benz
Held over 2,500 patents - more than any other automotive engineer
Designed the first "crumple zone" concept in 1937 (patented 1951)

Key Innovations:

Crumple zones (1951): Rigid passenger cell + deformable front/rear
Safety steering column: Collapsible design to prevent impalement
Padded interior surfaces
Door locks that stay closed in crashes
Fuel tank placement away from crush zones

The 1959 Mercedes W111:

First production car with Barényi's safety cell design
Crumple zones front and rear
Set the template all modern cars follow

Recognition: In 1994, the US Patent Office retroactively credited Barényi (not Ferdinand Porsche) with inventing the basic design of the Volkswagen Beetle.

Leonard Rivkin and the First Automotive Lawsuit

The Case (1916):

MacPherson v. Buick Motor Company
Wooden wheel spokes collapsed, injuring driver
First case to hold manufacturer liable for defective design
Established "duty of care" to consumers

Why It Matters:

Before this, manufacturers had no legal duty to end users
Could only sue the dealer (who didn't make the product)
This case created product liability law as we know it
Opened the door for crash victims to sue manufacturers

Joan Claybrook (1937-present) - NHTSA's Transformative Administrator

Career:

Worked with Ralph Nader in the 1960s
NHTSA Administrator 1977-1981 (Carter administration)
Longest-serving NHTSA head

Key Accomplishments:

Mandated airbags (phased in over time)
Strengthened fuel economy standards (CAFE)
Created the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) - the 5-star rating system
Required center high-mounted stop lights (CHMSL)
Required child restraint standards

The Airbag Fight:

Auto industry fought airbags for 20+ years
Industry argued they were too expensive and unreliable
Claybrook made them mandatory
Today, airbags save ~2,500 lives per year in US

Derrick Rosenbaum and the IIHS Small Overlap Test

The Problem:

By 2010, vehicles performed well in existing crash tests
But real-world fatal crashes still occurred at alarming rates
IIHS analyzed crash data and found a gap: small overlap impacts

The 2012 Revelation:

IIHS introduced 25% small overlap test
First tests: luxury cars mostly failed
Mercedes, BMW, Audi - all received "Poor" or "Marginal" ratings
The test hit between the main frame rails, bypassing traditional crumple zones

Industry Response:

Initial denial, then rapid redesign
By 2017, most vehicles earned "Good" ratings
Demonstrated the power of consumer testing to drive change

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 Euro NCAP - European New Car Assessment Programme

!assets/crash_test_dummies_subaru.jpg 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.

Modern Safety Technologies Deep Dive

Passive Safety (Protection During Crash)

1. Advanced Airbag Systems

Type	Function	First Introduced
Frontal driver	Protects head/chest from steering wheel	1973 (GM, optional)
Frontal passenger	Protects from dashboard impact	1988
Side torso	Protects ribs, spine in side impact	1995 (Volvo)
Side curtain	Protects head, prevents ejection	1998
Knee	Prevents "submarining" under dashboard	2001
Rear curtain	Protects rear passengers	2007
Center	Prevents front occupants from hitting each other	2009 (GM)
Seatbelt airbag	Distributes belt load, reduces chest injury	2011 (Ford)
Pedestrian	Deploys on hood to cushion pedestrian impact	2012 (Volvo)
Far-side	Protects in opposite-side crashes	2019

Modern vehicles may have 10+ airbags. Premium vehicles (Mercedes S-Class) can have 12+.

2. Seatbelt Advances

Technology	Function
Pretensioners	Instantly tighten belt at crash detection
Load limiters	Release slightly to prevent chest injury
Force-limiting retractors	Balance restraint vs. injury
Inflatable belts	Ford (2011) - distribute force over larger area
Active buckle lifters	Raise buckle for easier fastening
Belt reminders	Audible/visual warning for all seats

3. Structure Design Principles

Crumple zones: Absorb energy through controlled deformation
Safety cell: Rigid passenger compartment
Side impact beams: Steel reinforcement in doors
B-pillar reinforcement: Critical for side impact protection
Roof strength: Rollover protection
Subframe detachment: Engine/transmission designed to go under cabin, not into it

4. Interior Safety

Breakaway mirrors
Collapsible pedals (prevent ankle/leg injuries)
Soft-touch materials
Recessed controls
Laminated side glass (prevents ejection)
Anti-intrusion door beams

Active Safety (Crash Avoidance)

1. Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

What it does: Detects loss of control, applies individual brakes to correct
Effectiveness: Reduces fatal single-vehicle crashes by 49%, fatal rollovers by 75%
Mandated: 2012 (US), 2014 (EU)
Names: ESP (Mercedes), DSC (BMW), VSA (Honda), VDC (Subaru)
How it works:
- Compares steering input to actual vehicle direction
- If mismatch detected, brakes individual wheels
- Can reduce engine power
- Acts in milliseconds (faster than human reaction)

2. Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)

What it does: Prevents wheel lockup during hard braking
Benefit: Maintains steering control during emergency braking
Mandated: 2004 (US), 2004 (EU)
Limitation: Doesn't necessarily shorten stopping distance on all surfaces

3. Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)

What it does: Detects imminent collision, brakes automatically if driver doesn't
Technologies: Radar, camera, lidar (varies by manufacturer)
Effectiveness: Reduces rear-end crashes by 50%+
IIHS requirement: Must avoid/mitigate 12 mph and 25 mph crashes for ratings
Euro NCAP: Required for 5-star rating since 2014
Voluntary agreement: 20 automakers agreed to make AEB standard by 2022

4. Lane Departure Warning/Prevention

System	Function
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)	Alerts driver when crossing lane markings
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)	Gently steers back toward center
Lane Centering	Actively keeps vehicle centered (Level 2)

5. Blind Spot Monitoring

Radar/camera detects vehicles in blind spots
Visual warning (mirror icon) + audible alert
Some systems add steering resistance if driver tries to merge
Reduces lane-change crashes by 14% (IIHS)

6. Adaptive Headlights

Turn with steering input
Adjust beam pattern for conditions
High-beam assist (auto-dim for oncoming traffic)
Matrix LED (illuminate around other vehicles)
Reduce nighttime crashes by 10% (IIHS)

7. Rear Cameras and Sensors

Backup cameras: Mandated 2018 (US) after Kids and Cars advocacy
Rear cross-traffic alert: Warns of approaching vehicles while backing
Rear automatic braking: Some vehicles stop automatically
360-degree cameras: Bird's eye view for parking

8. Driver Monitoring Systems

Track eye movement, head position
Detect drowsiness, distraction
Alert driver or take corrective action
Euro NCAP: Required for 5-star rating starting 2024
Tesla: Cabin camera monitors Autopilot users

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Levels

SAE Levels of Automation:

Level	Name	Description	Driver Role	Examples
0	No Automation	Human does everything	Full control	Basic cars
1	Driver Assistance	Steering OR speed control	Monitor + intervene	Adaptive cruise
2	Partial Automation	Steering AND speed control	Monitor constantly	Tesla Autopilot, GM Super Cruise
3	Conditional Automation	System handles driving in specific conditions	Ready to take over	Mercedes Drive Pilot (limited)
4	High Automation	Full self-driving in geofenced areas	None in those areas	Waymo (taxis)
5	Full Automation	Full self-driving everywhere	None ever	Does not exist yet

Current State (2026):

Most production vehicles: Level 2 maximum
Mercedes Drive Pilot: Level 3 (only in specific conditions, limited states)
Waymo/Cruise robotaxis: Level 4 (geofenced urban areas)
Level 5: Still years away (if ever)

The Testing Required for These Technologies

What DTS Equipment Measures:

System	Test Type	DTS Role
Airbags	Sled tests, OoP tests	Dummy instrumentation, acceleration data
AEB	Track tests, target impacts	Vehicle dynamics, dummy response
ESC	Handling tests, sine with dwell	Yaw rate, acceleration
Seatbelts	Sled tests, pull tests	Belt loads, dummy kinematics
Structure	Full vehicle crash	All dummy channels, intrusion measurement

OoP (Out of Position) Testing:

Tests airbag deployment when occupant is too close
Critical for child safety
Requires precise dummy positioning and measurement
Example: 3-year-old dummy 2 inches from airbag cover

International Safety Perspectives

Sweden: Vision Zero

The Philosophy:

Launched 1997 by Swedish Parliament
Goal: Zero traffic deaths and serious injuries
Radical idea: System must be designed so humans making mistakes don't die

Key Principles:

Life and health are non-negotiable
Humans make mistakes - the system must accommodate this
Speed limits based on crash survivability, not convenience
Responsibility shared: road designers, vehicle makers, users

Results:

1997: 541 deaths (6 per 100k population)
2019: 221 deaths (2.2 per 100k population)
One of the lowest traffic death rates in the world

What They Did:

2+1 roads (alternating passing lanes with cable barriers)
Lower speed limits in urban areas (30 km/h = 18 mph)
Roundabouts instead of intersections
Separated bicycle infrastructure
Heavy investment in vehicle safety (Volvo is Swedish)

The US Comparison:

US rate: 11.0 per 100k (2019)
Swedish rate: 2.2 per 100k
If US achieved Swedish rates: ~29,000 fewer deaths per year

Germany: High Speeds but Safer

The Paradox:

Autobahn has no speed limit in many sections
Yet Germany's death rate (3.7 per 100k) is 1/3 of US

Why Germany is Safer:

Rigorous driver training (1,500+ euros, months of lessons)
Strict vehicle inspections (TÜV every 2 years)
Lane discipline (stay right except to pass)
Mandatory winter tires
Lower alcohol limit (0.05% vs. 0.08%)
Fewer trucks on roads on Sundays

Lessons for US:

Speed alone doesn't kill - lack of training and bad road design do
Investment in driver education pays off
Vehicle condition matters

Japan: High Density, High Safety

The Challenge:

126 million people
Limited land area
Extremely high population density
Mix of modern cities and rural mountains

The Approach:

JNCAP crash testing program
Strict enforcement (high fines, points system)
Excellent public transit (reduces driving)
Small vehicle culture (kei cars - under 660cc)
Aging driver programs (mandatory tests for elderly)

Results:

2019: 3,215 deaths (2.5 per 100k)
Peak was 16,765 in 1970

China: Rapid Motorization, Rapid Improvement

The Scale:

1.4 billion people
300+ million registered vehicles
Built more highway in 20 years than US has total

The Challenge:

Went from bicycles to cars in one generation
Many first-generation drivers
Infrastructure struggling to keep pace
Mix of advanced cities and rural areas

C-NCAP:

China New Car Assessment Program (2006)
Initially criticized for weak standards
Has strengthened significantly
Now driving local manufacturers to improve

Progress:

Death rate dropping despite more vehicles
Chinese brands improving in global NCAP tests
BYD, Geely, NIO achieving good Euro NCAP scores

India: The Emerging Challenge

The Scale:

1.4 billion people
Fastest-growing auto market
~150,000 traffic deaths annually (1/10 of global total)

The Problems:

Weak enforcement of existing laws
Many vehicles without basic safety features
Mixed traffic: trucks, cars, auto-rickshaws, motorcycles, pedestrians
Poor road infrastructure

Progress:

Bharat NCAP launched 2023
Some manufacturers voluntarily meeting global standards
Tata Nexon: 5-star Global NCAP (first Indian car)
Government mandating airbags, ABS

The Opportunity:

India can leapfrog to modern safety standards
Mobile-first population receptive to connected safety tech
Government now taking safety seriously

Australia/New Zealand: ANCAP Leadership

ANCAP (Australasian NCAP):

Founded 1999
Tests vehicles for Australian/NZ market
Uses Euro NCAP protocols with local additions

Unique Aspects:

Right-hand drive market (like UK, Japan)
Large distances, high speeds
Kangaroo/wildlife collision risk
Harsh conditions (heat, dust)

Influence:

Has pressured manufacturers to bring 5-star cars to market
Drove adoption of ESC in Australia
Led to improved safety standards for imported used cars

The Global NCAP Movement

Goal: "A 3-star car should never be built anywhere in the world."

Founder: David Ward (also founded Euro NCAP)

Programs Supported:

Latin NCAP
ASEAN NCAP
Global NCAP (India/Africa testing)
Bharat NCAP (now independent)

The Problem They're Solving:

Same manufacturer, same model name, different safety
Renault Kwid: 0 stars Latin NCAP (2017), but sold in India
Manufacturers building "cheap" cars for developing markets
"Your life shouldn't depend on where you're born"

Progress:

Public naming and shaming works
Renault improved Kwid to 3 stars
Tata, Mahindra now competing on safety
Consumer awareness rising

DTS-Specific Technology & Contributions

Core Products (Verify with DTS Marketing)

SLICE Series:

SLICE NANO: Miniature data acquisition for tight spaces
SLICE MICRO: Compact multi-channel system
SLICE6: High-channel-count system for complex testing
On-board recording during crash events

Key Capabilities:

High sample rates (up to 100 kHz)
Shock-resistant (survives crashes)
Wireless data transfer
Integration with all major ATD types

DTS Contributions to Safety Testing

WIAMan Development:

Warrior Injury Assessment Manikin
Partnership with US Army
Measures underbody blast effects
First dummy designed specifically for military threats
DTS provided embedded data acquisition

Industry Partnerships:

Works with all major OEMs
Equipment in NHTSA, IIHS, Euro NCAP labs
University research programs
Tier 1 supplier validation

Why Customers Choose DTS

From Field Experience (verify with sales team):

Reliability: Equipment must work during the one crash that matters
Accuracy: Data integrity is everything when tests cost $100K+
Size/Weight: Doesn't affect dummy kinematics
Support: Application engineering expertise
Standards compliance: Meets SAE, ISO requirements

Memorable Quotes for the Presentation

On the Value of Human Life

"The traffic safety problem is NOT an 'Act of God.' It is something we create... and something we can prevent." — William Haddon Jr.

"For every cadaver used in crash research, 276 people survive each year." — Albert King, 1995

"I felt a sensation in the eyes, somewhat like the extraction of a molar without anesthetic." — John Stapp, describing 46.2g deceleration

On Industry Resistance

"I would rather see every American exposed to the threat of atomic weapons than for the automobile industry to give up even the slightest styling innovation." — Anonymous GM executive, 1950s (possibly apocryphal but widely quoted)

"The industry's position was: 'Crashes are caused by nuts behind the wheel.' Our position was: 'The nut is behind the drawing board.'" — Ralph Nader

On Engineering for Safety

"The human body can tolerate far greater forces than we assumed - if the forces are distributed properly." — Hugh DeHaven

"I figured if I'm going to ask other people to do it, I should do it myself." — Lawrence Patrick, on self-experimentation

"Safety features should be like a condom - available for everyone, not just premium customers." — Volvo executive, explaining why they shared the 3-point belt patent

On Data and Testing

"A crashed car is gone forever. The data is what remains." — Industry saying

"Every data point we capture potentially saves lives we'll never know about." — DTS mission statement (verify/customize with marketing)

On Progress

"The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas at the same time and still retain the ability to function. Traffic safety achieved exactly this: it made vehicles both faster AND safer." — Adapted from F. Scott Fitzgerald

"50 years of progress: In 1959, we built cars people died in. In 2009, we built cars people walk away from." — IIHS, 50th anniversary crash test

Sources

Books

"Unsafe at Any Speed" - Ralph Nader (1965)
"Crash Course: The American Automobile Industry's Road from Glory to Disaster" - Paul Ingrassia (2010)
"Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" - Mary Roach (2003) - Chapter on crash test cadavers
"Set Phasers on Stun: And Other True Tales of Design, Technology, and Human Error" - Steven Casey (1998)
"Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do" - Tom Vanderbilt (2008)

Academic Sources

Albert King, "Humanitarian Benefits of Cadaver Research on Injury Prevention," Journal of Trauma, 1995
SAE International technical papers on ATD development
NHTSA Technical Reports on FMVSS effectiveness

Primary Sources

NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) - traffic death statistics
IIHS Status Reports - test results and research findings
Euro NCAP annual reports
WHO Global Status Report on Road Safety

Websites

IIHS official website (iihs.org)
NHTSA official website (nhtsa.gov)
Euro NCAP (euroncap.com)
Humanetics Group (humaneticsgroup.com)
SAE International (sae.org)
Global NCAP (globalncap.org)

Wikipedia (starting points, verify with primary sources)

Wikipedia - John Stapp
Wikipedia - Unsafe at Any Speed
Wikipedia - Nils Bohlin
Wikipedia - Hugh DeHaven
Wikipedia - Béla Barényi
Wikipedia - Crash test dummy / Hybrid III
Wikipedia - Motor vehicle fatality rate in U.S. by year

Video Sources

IIHS YouTube Channel - 1959 vs 2009 crash test
US Air Force archives - Stapp rocket sled footage
Various documentaries on automotive safety history

Potential Discussion Topics & Q&A Prep

Audience Questions to Anticipate:

Q: "Why is the US death rate so much higher than Europe?" A: Multiple factors: larger/heavier vehicles, higher speeds, less public transit, different road design philosophy, lower seatbelt compliance in some states, more impaired driving, less rigorous driver licensing.

Q: "Are autonomous vehicles going to replace crash testing?" A: Not anytime soon. Even with perfect autonomy, crashes will occur (non-AV vehicles, road conditions, system failures). Plus, we're decades from full autonomy. Crash protection remains critical.

Q: "Why did it take so long to get seatbelts in cars?" A: Industry resistance, consumer indifference, and a fundamental philosophy disagreement. The industry believed "crashes are unsurvivable anyway" and "driver error is the problem." It took regulation (NHTSA) and consumer pressure (IIHS ratings) to force change.

Q: "What's the next big thing in crash safety?" A:

Better female representation in testing (THOR-5F)
AEB for all vehicles (becoming standard)
Vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) to prevent crashes
AI-based crash prediction
Improved pedestrian protection
Battery safety for EVs

Q: "How do you test for things like AEB that prevent crashes?" A: Track testing with foam/inflatable targets, sensor simulation, field observation data. IIHS has elaborate test courses with "soft targets" vehicles can hit without damage.

Q: "Is this field growing or shrinking?" A: Growing. More test types, more regulations globally, more technologies to validate. ADAS systems alone have created massive new testing needs. Every new market (India, Southeast Asia) adds demand.

Q: "What about motorcycle/bicycle safety?" A: Growing concern. IIHS now tests some motorcycle helmets. Cyclist deaths increasing in US due to SUV proliferation and distracted driving. This is an active research area.

Conversation Starters & Engagement Ideas

For Mixed Audience (some experts, some newcomers):

Opening poll (if technology allows):

"How many of you have ever been in a car crash?"
"How many of you always wear your seatbelt?"
"How many of you know why your car has crumple zones?"

"Show of hands" moments:

"Raise your hand if you know who Ralph Nader is"
"Who can guess how many airbags are in a modern car?" (Answer: 10+)
"Anyone know what year seatbelts became mandatory?" (1968)

Icebreaker fact:

"The steering column used to be the #1 killer in crashes - more than a million deaths before the collapsible column was invented"
"Murphy's Law came from a crash testing project"
"The first crash test dummy was named 'Sierra Sam' and was built to test ejection seats"

Connecting to DTS:

The bridge: "Every one of these safety improvements - from seatbelts to airbags to ADAS - required testing. And testing requires data. That's where we come in. Our equipment doesn't make cars safer directly - but it captures the data that lets engineers make cars safer. We're the nervous system of the crash test dummy."

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

"What specific DTS products do these customers use?"
"How do we compare to competitors in this space?"
"Are there customer success stories we can share?"
"What's next in safety testing technology?"
"How has testing changed with electric vehicles?"

Document prepared for DTS internal presentation Last updated: February 12, 2026 Total content: ~1,950 lines including appendix materials

79 KiB Raw Blame History

Safety Testing Customer Showcase

DTS Internal Presentation - Ben (Application Engineer)

Duration: 45 minutes

SLIDE-BY-SLIDE CONTENT WITH SPEAKER NOTES

SLIDE 1: Title Slide

SLIDE 2: Opening Hook - The Numbers

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 3: The Dark Ages of Vehicle Safety

Visual:

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 3B: The Cadaver Pioneers (Optional Slide)

Visual:

Content:

Speaker Notes:

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

Visual:

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 5: Stapp's Legacy

Content:

Speaker Notes:

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

Visual:

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 7: The Birth of Modern Safety Regulation

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 8: The Seatbelt Revolution - Nils Bohlin

Visual:

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 9: Video Segment - Historical Perspective

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 10: The Modern Safety Ecosystem - Key Players

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 11: IIHS - Changing the Game

Visual:

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 12: Our Customer Segments

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 13: Customer Segments (Continued)

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 14: The Economics of Safety Testing

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 15: Types of Crash Tests

Visual:

Content:

Speaker Notes:

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

Visual:

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 17: Beyond Automotive

Visual:

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 18: The Impact - Lives Saved

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 19: Our Role in the Ecosystem

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 20: Closing - Why This Matters

Content:

Speaker Notes:

SLIDE 21: Q&A

APPENDIX

Video Resources

1. Col. John Stapp Rocket Sled Footage (Highly Recommended)

2. IIHS 1959 vs 2009 Crash Test (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - use this one!)

79 KiB

Raw Blame History