| Lawrence Patrick | |
| Birth Date: | c.1920 |
| Birth Place: | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Death Date: | April 30, 2006 |
| Death Place: | Hendersonville, North Carolina |
| Alma Mater: | Wayne State University |
| Occupation: | Researcher, Educator |
| Known For: | Early pioneer in impact biomechanics, Automotive safety design improvements, Invention of the air bag |
| Spouse: | Bess Patrick |
Lawrence Patrick (1920 – April 30, 2006[1]) may well be considered one of the fathers of the crash test dummy. Between 1960 and 1975, while a biomechanics professor at Detroit's Wayne State University, Patrick described his work by saying "I was a human crash-test dummy".[2] Patrick allowed himself to be subject to over 400 rocket sled rides,[3] crushing blows to the head and body, and other forms of physical abuse in an effort to develop a body of data on how the human body responded in a vehicle accident. One of his students, Harold Mertz, went on to develop Hybrid III, the current worldwide standard crash test dummy. Lawrence also subjected himself to a 50 pound pendulum to the breast plate to test the effects of a steering column on a human. Lawrence died of Parkinson's disease on April 30, 2006, at the age of 85.[4]