Car safety features
When there is a car crash, the car, its contents and the passengers Slowing down or negative acceleration, eg the car slowed down with a deceleration of 2 ms⁻². rapidly.
They experience great forces because of the change in momentum, which can cause injuries.
Modern cars have safety features that absorb Energy which an object possesses by being in motion. in collisions.
These typically include:
- seat belts;
- airbags;
- crumple zones.
Higher tier only
These features reduce injuries to the people in the car by absorbing energy from the impact.
These features absorb energy when they change shape.
This reduces injuries to the people in the car.
They increase the time taken for the car and passengers to slow down, and so reduce the forces involved and any subsequent injuries.
Seat belts
Seat belts were originally introduced in 1948 as an optional extra on Ford cars.
They are now standard on all cars and coaches, and drivers and passengers can be fined if they’re caught not wearing one.
Seat belts stop you tumbling around inside the car if there is a collision.
However, they are designed to stretch a bit in a collision.
This increases the time taken for the body's speed to reach zero, and so reduces the forces on it.
The body stops with less of a jolt which reduces injury.
Airbags
Airbags increase the time taken for the head's speed to reach zero, and so reduce the forces on it. They also act as a soft cushion and prevent cuts.
Crumple zones
Crumple zones are areas of a vehicle that are designed to crush in a controlled way in a collision. They increase the time taken to change the speed of the driver and passengers in a crash, which reduces the force acting on them.
Antilock Braking System (ABS)
Before ABS, a car’s wheels could lock when braking, making it very difficult to steer around a corner.
Antilock brakes prevent this problem, making sure wheels are allowed to keep on turning even under hard braking.
This helps to maintain good friction and prevents skidding.
