Safety Technology: Crumple Zones

Crumple zones are areas at the front and rear of the car.  In the event of a collision, these areas deform and absorb the crash energy preventing it from being transmitted to the vehicle occupants.  

This is achieved by controlled weakening of outer parts of the car body, but at the same time, strengthening and increasing the rigidity of the inner part of the body.  The occupant cabin is protected by reinforcing beams and high-strength steels. The kinetic energy that does reach the cabin is spread over as wide an area as possible to reduce its deformation.

The impact energy is much greater than commonly recognised. For instance, the severity of a collision with a tree or post at 60 km/h is similar to driving over a 10 metre sheer drop and crashing onto a hard surface.

The original technology was patented in 1952 by Mercedes-Benz. In recent years, some manufacturers have also engineered impact absorption systems for both sides of the vehicle.  Since 1997, the Euro NCAP crash-test score has assessed how well a particular car’s body shell protects the cabin when subject to crash forces.