In the Preferences, using the SHIFT option to show the INTERNAL tab, 4th from the bottom I see "Crash Test Dummy = False". I set mine to "true" and now Vegas never crashes :)
I would assume that it disables common checks and catches that normally would for instance detect an abnormal situation, and get you out of it before your project is corrupted.
Craig I assume that tab takes the dummy out of the driving seat and puts the Editor in the seat.Nothing more invigorating than seeing a wall coming at you at high speed