Wrecking a ride is harder than it looks. “It’s not just hitting a
button,” says Jordan Haynes, a 24-year-old crash-test technician at MGA
Research in Burlington, Wis. The National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) turns to MGA for data on how well cars withstand
impacts. Before a run, Haynes covers test dummies in chalk — to mark
whatever they hit in the cabin — activates up to 200 sensors, and rigs
16 cameras to record the crash. “This is a gearhead’s dream,” he says.
“At home, I build cars. At work, I crash them.”