A front end of modern cars are designed to crumple in the event of head-on-collision. (a) why are cars now designed to crumple on impact?
Cars are designed to crumple in the event of a head-on collision primarily for safety reasons. The purpose of this design is to absorb and distribute the force of impact, thereby reducing the amount of force transferred to the passengers inside the vehicle. By having a front end that crumples, the collision forces are managed and dissipated more effectively, decreasing the severity of injuries sustained by the occupants.
The crumple zone in the front end of modern cars is made possible by engineering techniques and materials that are designed to deform and absorb energy upon impact. Usually, these areas are reinforced with specific structures and materials that are designed to crush or collapse in a controlled manner, allowing the vehicle to dissipate energy throughout a more extended period of time.
The concept behind crumple zones is to extend the duration of the collision by introducing controlled deformation. This action allows the car's structure to absorb energy and slow down the transfer of forces to the passenger compartment. By elongating the collision time, the forces acting on the occupants are reduced, thus minimizing the risk of injury.
To ensure that cars are capable of crumpling on impact, automotive manufacturers use various design and testing techniques such as computer simulations and crash tests. These methods help engineers evaluate and improve vehicle safety by optimizing the geometry, materials, and structure of the front end to achieve the desired level of crash performance.
Therefore, cars are now designed to crumple on impact as it is an effective safety measure that helps protect the passengers by managing and distributing the force of a head-on collision, reducing the severity of injuries.