Accidents are the third largest cause of death in America, taking 140 000 lives per year. Only heart attacks and cancer kill more people. Vehicular accidents such as the one shown in figure 1 account for 44 000 of the accidental deaths and cause 80 000 permanent disabilities through trauma to the brain or spinal cord. The direct and indirect costs of all automobile accidents run close to $60 billion per year.
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© 1987 American Institute of Physics.
1987
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