How is the newer cars are more fragile during an accident but are more safe for the passengers

Question

How is the newer cars are more fragile during an accident but are more safe for the passengers

In: Physics

Answer 1

When you crash you come to a sudden stop and all the energy you had before you stopped has to go somewhere, if the vehicle is all steel and doesn’t crumple or fall apart alot of that force will go into your body.

Now you replace the steel with plastic and when you crash the plastic flies off and any energy it carries can’t come back into your body.