Final answer:
Crumple zones in cars increase the time of impact during an accident, distributing the force over a longer period and reducing the risk of injury.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the combination of crumple zones and safety restraint systems reduces the risk of a serious crash. Answering the question, cars have parts that can crumple or collapse in the event of an accident. This helps protect the passengers because it reduces injury to the passengers by increasing the time of impact, which is option (a). By extending the time over which the impact occurs, the force experienced by the passengers is spread out over a longer period, thereby reducing the peak magnitude of the force.