Absorption and Redistribution of Impact
One of the most effective automobile safety innovations of the last few decades is the crumple zone. As the name suggests, a crumple zone is an area of the vehicle that is designed to crumple at impact in order to absorb and redistribute some of the energy and prevent that impact energy from being transferred to the vehicle’s occupants.
Watch the YouTube video. This IIHS video shows the clear advantage that newer cars have during crashes, due in part to crumple zone designs.
A Delicate Balance
Auto manufacturers are reluctant to reveal the specific designs of their vehicles’ crumple zones. It is usually proprietary information that can vary greatly depending on the weight and overall size of the vehicle. A balance must be struck between too much and too little impact resistance. Simple crumple zone designs may have frame parts designed to bend and collapse. Other more advanced examples may include a variety of materials that are painstakingly engineered to absorb and redistribute as much impact energy as possible.
Reducing the Force of Impact
In addition to redistributing the impact force, crumple zones are also designed to lessen the initial force of the collision. To do this, a buffer zone is created around the vehicle’s perimeter. When the areas designed to bend and collapse begin crumpling, the vehicle begins decelerating. The more resistant and rigid parts of the vehicle’s design would be the areas surrounding the engine and passenger compartments.
The parts of the vehicle that are manufactured with structures that are designed to crumple, crush, and break are intended to take as much force as possible in order to spare other parts of the vehicle and by extension, the occupants.
Can the Entire Car be a Crumple Zone?
There are other factors to consider in vehicle design besides absorption and redistribution of force. The passenger compartment must be resistant to penetration by outside objects and must stay intact so that the occupants remain contained within it. As such, vehicles are designed with a strong, rigid frame enclosing the passenger compartment, with crumple zones limited to the rear and front of the vehicle. Airbags within the passenger compartment serve to reduce and redistribute force as well.
Other Vehicle Areas to Consider
Some car parts are unable to crumple, such as the large, heavy steel block known as the engine. Some vehicles are designed with the engine moved farther back within the frame so that a larger crumple zone may be accommodated. This may be possible on a big vehicle without an added risk of injury to the occupants, but not feasible on a small compact car.
Battery packs and fuel tanks also must be protected from impact in order to reduce the risk of fire or a toxic chemical leak. Newer vehicles have the technology to cut off the fuel supply at impact. Some older vehicles are designed to lift the gas tank up as the frame bends during a rear impact.
Personal Injury Lawyer – Stockton, California
Hello. Thanks for reading. I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton personal injury lawyer. Despite ongoing innovations in vehicle safety, Northern Californians continue to be injured in automobile accidents every day. If you have suffered injuries in a car crash caused by a careless or negligent driver, it makes sense to consult with an experienced injury lawyer. For compassionate, free, and friendly advice, call us at (209) 227-1931, or if you are phoning from outside the local area, use our toll-free number: (800) 404-5400. Retaining a skilled Stockton personal injury lawyer can take the legal worries off of your mind and allow you to focus on what’s truly important – your recovery and return to good health.
Photo Attribution: PI
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