How the Crumple Zone Keeps You Safe in a Car Crash

Have you ever seen a car totaled so badly that it has been crushed flat in the front/back, and yet the passengers are left uninjured? Then the crushed – or crumpled – part(s) of the car did their job!

Crumple Zones: Your Vehicle’s Life-Saving Technology

Crumple Zones are one of the key safety features in any modern car design. It is most effective in larger, heavier vehicles, where there is more material to absorb the energy of the collision. This allows the vehicle to keep its structural integrity (e.g., have the roof cave in) and not roll over. It also facilitates the symbiotic functioning of the airbags and seatbelts (successful use of which prevents 50% of injuries). Injuries are less likely to happen or to be serious when the car slows down over a longer period of time.

While it may seem like a sacrifice to total your car, the cost-benefit analysis is that you can walk away with little to no serious injuries if the crumple zones act as designed.

If you, however, have been injured in a car crash, Contact Munley Law’s auto accident attorneys. Our expertise in vehicle safety cases helps to maximize your compensation.

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The Critical Role of Impact Energy Management

Crumple zones protect the most important part of the car: the passenger compartment. While it may mean rendering the car unusable as it takes the maximum amount of the impact (approximately 25%) it has kept its precious cargo – you and your fellow passengers — safe. The car acts as an accordion, taking the impact and folding in on itself, while leaving the passenger compartment as unscathed as possible.

Car companies are able to increase the crumple zones efficacy — and thus your safety — every few years. Even back in 2019, a driver using autopilot in a Tesla S hit another car in a head-on collision on a highway driving at 50-60 MPH. The driver said that he walked away “mostly uninjured.” In 2016, five passengers in Germany were in what they called an “insane, terrifying crash,” in their Tesla S. They were able to walk away with “serious, but non-life threatening injuries.” In fact, they were able to exit the car on their own without the help of any first responders.

Have you been injured in a car accident or by a defective automobile? Let our experienced legal team evaluate your case. We understand vehicle safety technology, defective parts claims, and how these factors affect your compensation.

Materials and Engineering: Building Safer Vehicles

Crumple zones are most often made from high-strength steel or advanced composites. The composites are frequently made from plastic, which are strong but lightweight. Steel is strong and ideal for energy absorption. These strong materials are engineered to have strategic weak points to be crumble/deformation zones, i.e., they take the damage so that the structural integrity of the passenger compartment is maintained. Modern manufacturing enhances safety by building deformation zones to crumble in a controlled and planned way.

If you’ve been in an accident involving vehicle structural damage, our attorneys can help determine if safety features performed as designed in your FREE consultation.

Crumple Zone Testing and Safety Standards

Industry crash test procedures include four types: frontal impact, side impact, rollover, and roof strength. The frontal impact is the most relevant to the crumple zones. Federal safety requirements for vehicle manufacturers include three categories: crashworthiness, performance, and safety features. All three of these are relevant in a car crash. Vehicle manufacturers have to guarantee the safety of both their new and existing cars. These safety metrics are called Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and are determined and enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

You can trust Munley Law’s deep understanding of vehicle safety standards to build a strong case for your accident claim.

When Crumple Zones Fail: Understanding Your Rights

Common causes of crumple zone failure are: a smaller car being hit by a bigger car, design flaws or manufacturing defects, exceeding the speed limit, side-impact collision that does not impact the crumple zone, and pre-existing damage to the crumple zone. Design flaws occur when there is inaccurate geometry of the crumple zone parts, a deformation or instability. Manufacturing defects can include material flaws, and assembly and welding issues.

If you’re concerned that you have a vehicle safety issue, you will need to collect the following documentation that you have: your personal ID, your vehicle’s information (make, model and VIN #), date of purchase, a detailed description of the safety issue, photographs of the damage, incident report, police report, date of incident, repair receipts, maintenance repairs, witness information, and where you would like to file the claim.

Were you injured due to a potential vehicle safety failure? Schedule your free consultation with our product liability experts today.

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