Question

Why is it important to make observations during the scene​ size-up of the mechanism of injury in a car collision​ (i.e., rollover,​ frontal, rear​ end, or lateral​ crash)?

A. It increases the index of suspicion.
B. It helps in determining the time of the incident.
C. It helps to determine the cause of the crash.
D. It will help the police to investigate the collision.

Answer 1

Observations during a car collision scene size-up are crucial as they increase the index of suspicion for specific injuries, based on the mechanism of injury. Crumpling of cars during impacts is a safety feature that increases the time of impact, reducing the force experienced by passengers and thus limiting injuries.

Step-by-step explanation:

It is important to make observations during the scene size-up of the mechanism of injury in a car collision because it increases the index of suspicion. A detailed assessment of the collision can suggest potential injuries to the emergency responders, even before they fully examine the patient. For example, in a rollover, there may be a high risk of spinal injury, while a frontal crash can indicate possible airbag deployment injuries.

Cars are designed to crumple upon impact, which illustrates the concept of impulse, where force times the amount of time it acts results in a change in momentum. The crumpling of car parts increases the time over which the impact occurs, thereby reducing the force experienced by the occupants (reduces injury to the passengers by increasing the time of impact). This concept saves lives by spreading the force over a longer time, lowering the peak force experienced by the car's occupants.