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CRASH!
The Science of Collisions
Activities included in the CRASH! package

  • You Can't Afford a DWI - The total cost of a DWI conviction is calculated, including lost wages, fines, etc. after students do research into the various costs associated with a DWI.

  • The “Cough Medicine” Defense to DWI - Students calculate how much cough medicine would have to be ingested to develop an impaired driver's blood alcohol concentration detected during an arrest.

  • Determining BAC When a Driver Flees the Scene - A hit-and-run driver turns himself in to police the next day, and students are asked to determine his impairment level in the previous night's crash.

  • The Intoxilyzer as Scientific Proof of Impairment- Students investigate the theory of breath analysis and have a police officer demonstrate the breath test machine as a source of evidence at trial.

  • It's All in the Blood - The problem of converting a hospital blood test for alcohol into the legal units is based on the various components of the blood, particularly the blood serum.

  • The PBT as Legal Evidence of Impairment - A police officer demonstrates the hand-held breath test device used to do a “preliminary breath test”.

  • “I Only Had Two Beers” - Students research the ethanol content of popular brands of beer to show how different brands can cause differing degrees of intoxication.

  • Under the Limit, But Seriously Impaired - Students research the effects of alcohol at levels below the legally defined level of assumed intoxication to find that many driving skills are impaired at low BAC levels.

  • Newton Would Have Worn a Seat Belt! - Students analyze video footage of a real crash to determine why the belted driver survives the violent rear-end collision.

  • Skateboards and Cars Don't Mix - Students measure the speed of a skateboarder and then determine if an accident is avoidable if the skateboarder goes out into the street from a driveway.

  • People Can't Fly - And They Don't Land Well Either - Students look at the energy that must be absorbed to avoid an injury and the importance of staying inside the car.

  • Kinetic Energy and Insurance Fraud - Students determine whether a witness statement about speed is true, and how the truthfulness of the statement uncovers a fraudulent insurance claim for personal injuries.

  • Projectile Motion - Impact Speed in a Fatal Crash - Students analyze police evidence and determine the speed of a motorcycle involved in a fatal crash.

  • Linear Momentum Takes the Witness Stand - Students look at the certainty of police testimony in a DWI homicide case by applying a momentum calculation to the crash evidence.

  • Distractions Can Be Deadly ! - Students measure the distraction caused in typical situations and the consequences of being inattentive.

  • Observing Impairment in Driving Tests - Students make observations of drivers who are given alcoholic beverages and then perform driving maneuvers in a controlled driving test to pick out the classic symptoms of alcohol impairment.

  • Measuring Road Friction with a Police Drag Sled - Includes calculations of stopping distances, following too closely, etc. as it relates to the coefficient of friction of the roadway.

  • Projectile Motion in Accident Reconstruction - Examples of projectile motion equations related to pedestrian collisions, vaulting from the roadway, etc., including uncertainty considerations.

  • Weighing a Car with a Bath Scale - Applications of torques to a hands-on problem.

  • Reconstructing a Murder by Automobile - Working with an actual police report students reconstruct speed using conservation of energy; includes a video animation used at trial.

  • Reconstructing a Vehicle-Motorcycle Crash - Using conservation of energy students reconstruct the speed of the motorcycle to determine liability.

  • Parametric Equations and Tractor Trailer Speed - By algebraic simplification the equations of motion are used to determine tractor trailer speed from tire marks on the roadway.

  • Using Linear Momentum in Accident Reconstruction - Students determine speed, including use of a spreadsheet analysis to show the certainty of the conclusion. Ideal for computer classes.

  • Quadratic Equations in Accident Reconstruction - Students see the general quadratic equation applied to pedestrian throw distance, debris rest position in a crash, etc.

  • Vehicle and Occupant Kinematics - Newton's First Law applied to injury mechanisms in cars.

  • How Do Crumple Zones Save Lives? - Newton's Second Law applied to preventing injuries.

  • Newton's Laws in the Courtroom - Actual police files (2 different cases) on intersection collisions - students use Newton's Laws to determine who was at fault.

  • Examining Lamps for ON/OFF - Students determine, by applying Newton's Laws, whether a lamp was on or off at the moment of impact; includes lamps and magnifiers.

  • Using an Autopsy Report to Determine Who Was Driving - Biology students map injuries to determine if the person was a passenger or driver - ideal for anatomy studies.

  • Investigating a MV Homicide - Students design questions to ask of witnesses, what physical evidence to document, photographs to take, etc. Develops critical thinking skills.

  • Was It Safe to Cross? - By using equations of motion, students measure pedestrian walking speeds and are able to see how far away a car must be to allow safe crossing.

  • Determining Whether a Vehicle Ran a Stop Sign - Students measure vehicle acceleration to determine whether a vehicle stopped before entering an intersection.

  • Alcohol and Driver Performance - Using BACSIM software students measure their reaction time, and then see the effect of alcohol on reaction time. Additional activities related to alcohol impairment include:
    	Determining the Reaction Zone in Front of a Car
    	Finding Stopping Distance for an Impaired Driver
    	Calculating Impairment Level from Number of Drinks
    

Plus
These activities from included text, Physics of Automobile Crashes
(P=physics   M=mathematics   PS=physical science)

  • Measuring the Headlight Pattern of an Automobile  (P, M, PS)
  • Dispersion Pattern of a Traffic Hazard Lamp  (P, M)
  • Mathematical Model of Road Friction  (P, M, PS)
  • Measuring the Rolling Friction of a Bicycle or Car  (P, PS)
  • Determining the Reaction Zone for a Moving Automobile  (P, PS)
  • Interpreting Driver Reaction Time Statistics  (M)
  • Calculating Impact Forces on Vehicles and Occupants  (P)
  • Crush Damage from Utility Pole Impacts  (P)
  • Measuring Vehicle Accelerations  (P, PS)
  • Interpreting Motorcycle Test Results  (P)
  • Analysis of an Intersection Crash  (P)
  • Documenting Evidence at a Crash Scene  (P, PS)
  • Making Scale Drawings of Crash Scenes  (P, PS)



 
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