Our guest today is Tris Hann, and we are doing something new on this episode — Tris is not actually a scientist, but, he is a Baltimore City police officer! The reason he is on the show is because police officers use physics to investigate vehicle crashes, and that is what Tris is going to talk to us about today.
Highlights of this mini episode:
*Susan introduces the Science Fare podcast and explains the mini-episode/full-episode format [~0:30];
*Susan introduces guest Tris Hahn, a Baltimore City police officer, and explains how physics is used in crash investigation [~1:10];
*A listener question from a physics teacher prompts discussion of real-world accident reconstruction [~1:55];
*What measurements are taken at serious crash scenes, including area of impact, final rest positions, and debris fields [~2:30];
*Why investigators measure everything—from skid marks to pedestrian travel distance—to reconstruct what happened [~3:10];
*How physics helps determine not just what happened, but who may be at fault [~3:45];
*The misconception that “right of way” always determines fault in a collision [~4:20];
*Introduction to perception-reaction time and its importance in crash analysis [~4:50];
*How the brain—not just the eyes—processes roadway information and influences driver decisions [~5:20];
*A real crash case: a driver turns onto a roadway and is struck by an oncoming car traveling at an extreme speed [~5:55];
*How investigators determined the striking vehicle was traveling over 100 mph based on physical evidence [~6:30];
*Why the turning driver was not considered at fault despite not having the right of way [~6:45];
*How assumptions about typical driving speeds factor into “reasonable behavior” in physics-based investigations [~6:55];
*Episode wrap-up, listener feedback information, and acknowledgment of the Science Fare team [~7:00].