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.
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Both types of cars have “cages” around the occupants, to make sure the occupants do not get squashed during a crash. And both types of cars have sections outside the cage that are designed to absorb the energy of the crash.
If you look at an [exploded diagram](https://www.behance.net/gallery/15717037/FORMULA-E-CAR) of an F1 racing car, you’ll see that the there is a center body section where the driver sits inside. This section is usually a solid piece of carbon fiber, and acts as the roll cage. The pointy nose in front of it acts as a crumple zone; you can see it in action in this [crash test video](https://youtu.be/Yw56mgPK43s?t=90). Other parts like the wheels & suspension are also designed to break off in a crash, which helps dissipate energy.
Similarly, if you watch any [crash test video](https://www.youtube.com/c/RealSafeCars) of a modern car, you’ll see that the car body around the driver/passenger compartment remains intact. That’s your “roll cage.”
Consumer cars have much larger crumple zones because the occupants aren’t as well protected. A racing car driver is secured with a 5-point harness and protected by a helmet. On some racing cars, the helmet is secured to the seat. All this means the driver can survive a high-speed crash with a much smaller crumple zone.
p.s. Consumer cars didn’t always have crumple zones & passenger cages. Modern cars may not look any safer than old cars, but [this crash test video](https://youtu.be/fPF4fBGNK0U?t=14) shows why modern cars are so much safer.
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