Nov 18 2008
Vehicle structural design
A vehicle’s structural design is the starting point for protecting you in a serious crash, and minimizing any injury that may result. A good structural design should have a strong occupant compartment, or safety cage, and front and rear ends designed to buckle and bend in serious crashes to absorb crash forces. It is important for these crush zones to keep damage away from the safety cage because, once this cage begins to collapse, the likelihood of injury increases rapidly. If it is effectively designed, a longer crush zone lowers both the likelihood of damage to the occupant compartment and the crash forces inside it. Not all vehicles are equally well designed. Some have crush zones that are too stiff and/or too short and safety cages that aren’t strong enough. These can contribute to the collapse of the occupant compartment in serious crashes.