Final answer:
Fatigue related collisions tend to occur late at night, early in the morning, or mid-afternoon due to circadian rhythm dips. A driver claiming to be blinded by the Moon is unlikely, but knowledge of momentum and impulse is important for understanding traffic collisions and safety features like airbags and crumple zones.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses the circumstances under which fatigue related collisions tend to happen. Statistics and studies have shown that such collisions are more likely to occur during the late-night hours, early morning hours, and in the mid-afternoon. These times correspond with natural dips in the human circadian rhythm, a period when people are naturally more drowsy and less alert.
Addressing the provided scenarios, in the case where a driver claims to have been blinded by the Moon, it is unlikely that the full moon's brightness would be sufficient to cause temporary blinding leading to a collision. The Moon, even when full, doesn't produce enough light to cause such a significant visual impairment.
Regarding traffic collisions and the conservation of momentum, when two vehicles collide, the momentum before the collision is equal to the momentum after, provided no external forces are acting. This principle allows us to calculate the combined velocity of the wreckage post-collision. Also, understanding impulse is crucial for vehicle safety features such as airbags and crumple zones, which help to increase the collision time and thereby reduce the force exerted on occupants during a crash.