Final answer:
Padded dashboards in automobiles lengthen the time of impact in case of a collision, reducing the force exerted on occupants and decreasing the risk of injury.
Step-by-step explanation:
The padded dashboards in automobiles do indeed lengthen the time of impact in case of a collision, which can help reduce the force exerted on the occupants of the car. By increasing the collision time, the force of impact is spread out over a larger duration, resulting in a lower force acting on the occupants. This ultimately helps to decrease the risk of injury to the passengers.