Crashworthiness

NEW CRASH TEST RESULTS




Ferrari F430 steering wheel with airbag
Crashworthiness systems and devices prevent or reduce the severity of injuries when a crash is imminent or actually happening. Much research is carried out using anthropomorphic crash test dummies.


* Seatbelts limit the forward motion of an occupant, stretch to slow down the occupant's deceleration in a crash, and prevent occupants being ejected from the vehicle.
* Airbags inflate to cushion the impact of a vehicle occupant with various parts of the vehicle's interior.
* Laminated windshields remain in one piece when impacted, preventing penetration of unbelted occupants' heads and maintaining a minimal but adequate transparency for control of the car immediately following a collision. Tempered glass side and rear windows break into granules with minimally sharp edges, rather than splintering into jagged fragments as ordinary glass does.
* Crumple zones absorb and dissipate the energy of a collision, displacing and diverting it away from the passenger compartment and reducing the impact force on the vehicle occupants.
* Side impact protection beams.
* Collapsible steering columns reduce the risk and severity of driver impalement on the column in a frontal crash.
* Pedestrian protection systems.
* Padding of the instrument panel and other interior parts of the vehicle likely to be struck by the occupants during a crash.

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