Final answer:
Safety features like safety belts and airbags minimize injuries during car accidents by increasing the duration of the impact, thereby reducing the force on passengers. Society mandates these features to prevent injuries that could have broader social and economic impacts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the safety features like safety belts and airbags that automakers are required to build into their vehicles. Safety belts play a major role in automobile safety by preventing occupants from flying forward in the event of a crash, while airbags deploy upon impact to minimize serious injuries, leveraging the principle of impulse from physics.
The impulse in this context is the net force multiplied by the duration of the impact. By extending the impact's duration, the force exerted on the vehicle's occupants is decreased, resulting in fewer injuries during a collision.
Cars today are also designed with parts that can crumple or collapse during collisions, extending the collision time to further reduce the force on occupants. This protective strategy coupled with safety regulations reflects society's effort to mitigate injuries from accidents and the subsequent cost to society in caring for injured individuals.
The correct answer is: a. It reduces injury to the passengers by increasing the time of impact.