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. Visitors see both live and in replay how occupants in a car behave during an impact. The Auto Safety Exhibit opened in July 1995. Initial comments and observations about the exhibit are being obtained and will be used to enhance the exhibit as appropriate. Future activities might include the development of printed activity guides.