Science Simulations, Technology Simulations, Engineering Simulations, Mathematics Simulations
Lesson 4: How does crush zone length affect vehicle safety?
When engineers design vehicles, they focus on protecting the driver and other people inside the vehicle. The safety cage and surrounding structures are built to limit the injuries to the people. Can you determine the crush zone frame length that best protects a vehicle’s occupants? Slam into this challenge head-on and start this simulation.
Here are some definitions to help you in your investigation.
Crush zone - the front end of a vehicle designed to increase driver safety
Safety cage - the part of a vehicle that surrounds and protects people
Frame length - the distance from the front end of the vehicle to the safety cage
Stiffness - a measure of the firmness or ability to bend or change
Variable - something that can change
Deformation - a change in the shape of something
Footwell - the inside of a car down by the driver’s feet
Intrusion - how much the car frame moved into the driver
Acceleration - how quickly or slowly the driver changed speed inside the car
Risk - how likely an injury would happen. 100% means that the injury would occur. 0% means no injury would happen.
Fractures - broken bones
Doing the science
- Start the Car Crash Simulation.
- Select the blue SUV on the left side of the screen.
- Select the “Soft” crush zone stiffness.
- Select the “Short” crush zone length.
- Select the “Crash Center” button at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the “40 MPH” speed, and then select the “Crash It” button.
- Select the “Analysis Center” button at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the “Measure” button. Select the green round target, then select the next green round target to measure the frame intrusion. Record this information in Table 1.
- Repeat, measuring the intrusion for the other two targets (yellow and red). Record this information in Table 1.
- Select the “Medical Report” button. Record this information in Table 2.
- Select the “Design Center” button at the bottom of the screen.
- Repeat steps 3–11, except choose the “Medium” crush zone length.
- Repeat steps 3–11, except choose the “Long” crush zone length.