The Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine: Its Mission, Purpose and Challenge

Abstract

The year was 1957 and the place was Chicago in the USA The newly appointed Medical Advisory Committee of the Sports Car Club of America was meeting for the first time. This group consisted of a cohort of 8 race track “pit docs” whose passion for racing brought them together at major race events and led to their desire to standardize the medical aspects of racing. By the end of this first meeting, however, an historic event took place. The American Association of Automotive Medicine [renamed the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine in 1988] was founded initially to improve the racing environment. After only two years, however, the membership grew to support a viable organization and the Constitution and By-laws were written to embrace not only the racing environment but highway driving in general. Simultaneously, the AAAM was recognized by the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons which led to the first two AAAM Presidents being appointed to these organizations’ committees on automobile safety.