What zone protects occupants by allowing structures to collapse?

• A. Crumple zone
• B. Frame zone
• C. Impact zone
• D. Safety zone

Answer: (A)

In car safety, protecting occupants relies on absorbing crash energy by allowing part of the car to deform. Crumple zones are the front and rear sections designed to collapse in a controlled way during impact. By deforming, they absorb a lot of the energy and increase the time over which the vehicle decelerates, which lowers the peak force transmitted to the occupants and helps keep the passenger compartment intact. The other terms don’t describe this energy–absorbing mechanism: the frame is meant to stay relatively rigid to support the occupants, and the idea of an “impact zone” or “safety zone” isn’t the standard way we describe how crashes are managed.