Unit: Three Topic:  I3
(Please Listen to Narration or read the Paragraphs below )

I3. Forces in a crash, reducing them.

You can reduce the forces on you and your car during an unavoidable crash if you are able to redirect your path toward objects that will cause your car to stop over a greater distance, such as: (a) bushes rather than trees, (b) snow, (c) soft dirt, and (d) sand barrels placed in front of freeway abutments.

The purpose of barrels filled with sand in front of an abutment (such as a support for a highway over pass) is to reduce the forces on your vehicle by allowing your vehicle to travel farther than if it hit the abutment directly.

Modern vehicles have a number of features that reduce the forces on your body during a crash by absorbing energy and increasing the distance over which the impact occurs. These include: (a) crush zones (areas of the vehicle designed to absorb impact by crushing in without harming the passenger area of the vehicle), (b) I-beam construction in the frame and doors to give the vehicle more rigidity, (c) air bags, (which allow the momentum of your body to be absorbed over a slightly greater distance than if it hit the steering wheel or windshield), (d) energy-absorbing bumpers that reduce the effect of the kinetic energy during a front or rear-end collision, (e) padded dashboards, and (f) safety glass windows and windshields designed to crumble into small dull-edged pieces to reduce lacerations.

If the force of impact is excessive, such as during a head on collision with another vehicle, the above safety features may still not be enough to prevent serious injury or death. 

Your seatbelt is the best protection against injury if you have an accident