What do crumple zones in vehicles do?

Crumple zones are specifically designed areas of a vehicle that are engineered to absorb the energy during a collision. When a vehicle experiences impact, these zones deform or collapse, helping to dissipate the force of the crash away from the occupants. This design minimizes injury to passengers by allowing the structure of the vehicle to absorb some of the impact energy, rather than transferring all of it to the cabin where passengers are located.

This concept is a crucial aspect of automotive safety engineering and can make a significant difference in the outcome of an accident. By reducing the severity of the impact that reaches the passengers, crumple zones play a vital role in improving the overall safety profile of modern vehicles.

The other options relate to aspects of vehicle design or utility that do not pertain to the primary function of crumple zones, which is focused exclusively on enhancing safety during collisions.