Assignment

It used to be considered, that the best car body was the one that showed the least damage after an accident. We now know that it's far more important to reduce, or indeed not even reach the acceleration- or braking forces which are dangerous for the brain. These forces are expressed in 'G' (gravity). Thereby, 1 G corresponds to 9,81 m/s², this is the acceleration, which is the same for all objects falling to the ground through an airless environment. In serious accidents, in spite of all the precautions taken, the passengers in a vehicle can be subject to forces of 50 G and more. Of course, larger (in this case longer) cars have obvious advantages. Even small cars have an advantage when colliding with longer cars because the longer cars absorb a greater amount of the impact energy. In the event of a full-frontal collision, the situation becomes even more favourable, if there are not too many non-deformable components, e.g., the engine, in the engine compartment, or if these components have an alternative evasive space to prevent them from being forced in the direction of the passenger compartment.

Function

In this case (see above picture), almost the entire impact force has been absorbed by the vehicle front-end. The steering- wheel and column has not noticeably penetrated the interior. The airbag has been triggered and, judging by what the vehicle looks like, the door can still be opened. What cannot be seen here, is that this vehicle has been thus constructed, that in the event of a full-frontal collision, the entire powertrain assembly is pressed under the (double) flooring. This type of collision is favourable for the passengers in that it occured full-frontal. Should the impact come from the side or from an angle, which is probably more often the case, the part of the vehicle concerned must absorb all the impact force. 05/11

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