Final answer:
Automotive safety improvements like crumple zones and the use of plastic components help to increase collision time and decrease force on occupants, utilizing the physics principle of impulse. Seatbelts and airbags act to further reduce injury by controlling the momentum change over a longer duration.
Step-by-step explanation:
Automotive technology continues to advance with significant improvements aimed at enhancing the safety of car occupants. One such advancement is the incorporation of components in vehicles that can crumple or collapse in the event of an accident. These features help protect passengers by increasing the time over which the collision occurs, which in turn reduces the force transmitted to the occupants. This is based on the concept of impulse, which involves the change in momentum being spread out over a longer duration, thereby reducing the net force on the passengers.
Modern cars are designed with plastic components that are lighter in weight, contributing to better fuel efficiency and gas mileage. In addition to this, the crumple zones help to extend the impact time during a collision, which is particularly beneficial during frontal impacts. This design philosophy stems from observations in the racing industry where a transition from rigid frames to those that could absorb impact energy more effectively led to a significant decrease in fatalities on the track.
Safety features such as seat belts and airbags further aid in mitigating the forces experienced by passengers. Seat belts restrain occupants from being ejected or colliding with the interior surfaces of the car, while airbags provide a cushion that prolongs the stopping time during a crash. Together with padded dashboards, these safety interventions are all engineered to capitalize on the physics principle of impulse to minimize injury during accidents.