Chapter 4, Problem 6CQ

Internal injuries in vehicular acci-dents may be due to what is called the “third collision.” The first collision is the vehicle hitting the external object. The second collision is the person hitting something on the inside of the car, such as the dashboard or windshield. This may cause external lacerations. The third colli-sion, possibly the most damaging to the body, is when organs, such as the heart or brain, hit the ribcage, skull, or other confines of the body, bruising the tissues on the leading edge and tearing the organ from its supporting structures on the trailing edge.

a. Why is there a third collision? In other words, why are the organs still moving after the second collision?

b. If the vehicle was traveling at 60 mph before the first collision, would the organs be traveling faster than, equal to, or slower than 60 mph just before the third collision?