What is the crumple zone of a car?

Answer 1

Areas where the structure in a vehicle is allowed to collapse and absorb the kinetic energy of an impact and reduce the kinetic energy transfered to the people in the vehicle.

Normally it located in front portion of a vehicle for when you run into something or are hit head on.

The original crumple zone was a section of the steering column that was cut and replaced with a tube of metal mesh. This allowed the steering column to collapse instead of thrusting back with the front axle and killing the driver.

Later the bumpers were mounted on springs instead of rigid onto the frame or structure of the vehicle. Also known as the 35 mile per hour system. Anything under 35 was able to be absorbed by the bumpers.

Then the front structural crumple zone was introduced that allowed the impacts greater then 35 miles per hour to be more surivable.