Take a virtual field trip to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Vehicle Research Center to explore crash testing and learn how STEM is used to design safer vehicles, improve road safety, and reduce crash injuries.
Key Questions
- Why are vehicles crash-tested?
- What types of testing occurs at the Vehicle Research Center (VRC)?
- How is science, technology, engineering and mathematics applied in vehicle testing?
Student Directions
- Access the Vehicle Research Center Virtual Field Trip (VRC VFT) by clicking the link provided by your teacher or here and enter the VRC virtual tour.
- Download the Student Activity Sheet for the VRC VFT or use the sheet provided by your teacher.
- Explore the VRC.
- Move through the tour at your own pace. At each stop, look around carefully, read the information, and listen to any videos or expert explanations.
- Complete the fill-in-the-blank questions on your student activity sheet.
When you reach a location with a question:- Use the information from that area to find the correct answers.
- Fill in the blanks on your student sheet (or digital form) before moving on.
- If you’re unsure, revisit the information at that stop.
- Take notes as needed.
- Write down important ideas about crash testing, safety features, and the science concepts you observe to help you answer questions accurately.
- Continue through the tour.
- Visit all required locations and complete the fill-in-the-blank questions.
- Review your work.
- Before submitting, check that every question is answered and that your responses match what you learned during the tour.
- Submit your completed activity sheet as directed by your teacher.
Crash test dummy: a sophisticated, re-usable device that simulates the height, weight, proportions, and major anatomical features of the human body
Crashworthiness: a measure of how well a vehicle protects occupants from serious injury or death in a crash.
Crumple zones: the parts of a vehicle designed to deform in a crash.
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