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COLONEL (DR.) JOHN PAUL STAPP – CRASH TEST DUMMY, TRAUMA PREVENTION PIONEER & MURPHY’S LAW

Dr John Paul Stapp was not only the “fastest human on earth;” he was also the quickest to stop. In 1954, Dr Stapp attained a then world record land speed of 632 mph (1020 km/h), going from a stand still to a speed faster than a .45 bullet in 5 s on a rocket sled, and then to a dead stop in 1.4 s, all in the name of safety. Stapp pioneered research on the effects of mechanical forces on living tissues during aircraft crashes. Stapp planned a series of tests on humans and set out to develop a harness to hold them. First, he used a dummy to perfect the harness and after 32 sled runs, he was ready to try it out on a human crash test dummy, himself. By 1954, Stapp had volunteered for 29 deceleration and windblast experiments. On his last run he sustained more than 40 g’s. He suffered fractured ribs and wrist, and retinal haemorrhages which left him temporarily blind. Whilst at the Air Force Stapp also began a car‐crash study program to investigate fatalities in auto accidents. From this program, safety recommendations for the car industry were established including fastening seats more securely to the car body, improving bumper design and proving the effectiveness of seat belts. Stapp’s work resulted in the 3‐point restraint system of today’s belts which has saved millions of lives. Stapp is also credited with coining one of the most famous phrases in history. One of his assistants, Capt E. Murphy, rigged a harness incorrectly yielding no data on the forces Stapp was subjected to. After discovering what happened, Stapp observed, “If there are two or more ways to do something and one of those results in a catastrophe, then someone will do it that way.” It has been called “Murphy’s Law” ever since.