Even as a kid, I would try to correctly identify all the vehicles on the road. As a nurse, I have also valued talking to patients and families regarding the personal aspects of their traumatic event. This job was intriguing in that I could combine my love of vehicles with the in-depth interviewing of crash victims. More than 40,000 people die from motor vehicle crashes in the United States each year. From one person s misfortune can come a great deal of highly useful knowledge.
Human beings crash much differently than dummies.
We are particularly interested in trauma to children, especially if they are front-seat passengers with an air bag deployment. Kids in car seats are also a priority. Often, very seriously injured patients have difficulty being in the project, especially if they have sustained a brain injury. This is due to the fact that we need informed consent from our subjects and need to do interviews regarding their baseline physical and emotional well-being. Others need all of their energy to heal and cope with their situation.