Crumple zone

structural feature used in automobiles and recently incorporated into railcars

Crumple zones in a car help to reduce the impact of force on the people in the car when the car crashes into a solid object or another vehicle. The car is designed to crumple in a way so it absorbs energy to decelerate for longer and so reduce the force and severity of the crash on the people in the car.

Crashed Mercedes-Benz Coupe