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Habush Habush & Rottier - Lake Geneva Personal Injury Attorneys

Crumple Zones

Crumple zones are an important safety feature of all cars. They are a structural feature that is designed to compress during an accident. This compression absorbs energy from an impact.

Crumple zones are typically found in the front part of the vehicle. This allows them to absorb the impact of a head-on collision. They may be found in other sections of the vehicle as well. A common place for crumple zones is in the rear of the car, an effort to absorb the energy of rear-end collisions.

These zones work by managing the crash energy so that it is absorbed within the frontal section of the vehicle. The energy is transformed by the deformation and compression of the crumple zones instead of being transmitted through the bodies of the occupants. The crumple zones prevent intrusion into or deformation of the passenger compartment.

Crumple zones better protect occupants from injury. It is done by a controlled weakening of outer parts of the car while strengthening the inner part of the car’s frame. The central portion of the car’s frame is done through the use of more reinforcing beams and the use of increasingly higher strength steels.

Many people feel that crumple zones actually make it easier for people to be injured; however, the drop in fatal accidents since they became common as well as higher crash test ratings says the opposite is true. A real downside to crumple zones is that they increase the repair costs in “fender bender” accidents. This happens because the front end crumples more easily.

If you have been injured in a car accident, please contact the Lake Geneva personal injury lawyers of Habush, Habush, & Rottier at 1-800-275-1729 to discuss your case and to determine your legal options.