It’s always struck me as odd that crumple zones help absorb impacts which makes cars safer. Yet race cars have roll cages which make them safer.
In: 187
Source: An automotive engineer
Both cars have both features, but they aren’t in the same form. A roll cage in a racecar is designed to remain as a ridged structure under far greater forces. Racing cars crash at far higher speeds, so they need to protect against far greater energies. This means their roll cages are big solid pipes welded together, crisscrossing across the interior and extremely durable.
A typical road car must protect against far smaller amounts of energy, crashes happen at much lower speeds and the chances of rolling over or hitting solid barriers are much lower as well. The consumers also like a sleek and clean interior, so the roll cage is covered in plastics or other materials to form sleek pillars and other structures. You don’t need as much cross bracing so you can leave the interior completely clear of such pipes. All the pillars and the frame of your car act as its roll cage. Cars that flip upside down are always able to support their own weight, just like a roll cage on racing cars.
All cars need ways to absorb energy. No matter how strong your frame or roll cage is, the sudden deceleration will always be fatal unless its energy is absorbed. Both types of cars feature extensive energy absorption areas for this purpose, mostly focused on the front.
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