Crumple zone facts for kids

Crashed Mercedes-Benz Coupe

Crumple zones in a car help to reduce the impact of force on the people in the car when the car crashes into a solid object or another vehicle. The car is designed to crumple in a way so it absorbs energy to decelerate for longer and so reduce the force and severity of the crash on the people in the car.

Images for kids

Range shown in blue of East Japan Railways (JR East) E217 series train. The driver's cabin is a crushable / crumple zone).
Cross section to show the different strength of the metal in a Saab 9000. The safety cell is in stronger metal (red) compared to the crumple zones (yellow).
Volkswagen Polo after a full frontal crash test into a deformable wall at the Transport Research Laboratory
Road Maintenance Truck Impact Attenuator, Auckland, New Zealand
The crumple zone on the front of these cars absorbed the impact of an offset head-on collision.
Activated rear crumple zone
Mazda 121 (re-badged Ford Fiesta) crash test car from the British Transport Research Laboratory.
VW Vento / Jetta activated front crumple zone
A US Market Ford Escort that has been involved in an offset head-on collision with a Sport Utility Vehicle – showing the raised point of impact – missing the car crumple zone.
VW POLO first successful frontal full car crash simulation (ESI 1986).
EuroNCAP FRONTAL IMPACT (left-hand drive vehicles).