In 1994, the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety, initiated a meeting with staff of Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry to discuss how the department could become a part of the Museum's Transportation Zone to help meet the education needs of the general visitors and school children concerning traffic safety. The purpose was to provide a unique experience in which the visiting public could learn about the scientific and technological aspects of the vehicle, the roadway and the driver that contribute to the safe operation of automobiles. A unique partnership was created of private and public donors, the museum and state government. The Auto Safety Exhibit provides a variety of experiences. The car travels down the track and into a front-end collision with a barrier.
Visitors watch as the dummy is thrown forward by inertia.
A video program supplements the activity with a brief explanation of the action. After the impact, the video monitor replays the same impact in slow motion. This instant replay lets the visitors see details they could not catch at full speed. Visitors observe the effect of the collision on the mannequins in the car. In particular, they see the effects of deceleration, momentum and energy, as well as the impacts that would injure a real person.