Hypothetical Crash, what do you think would happen if...?

[fleabag]

Let's say you take a Volvo 240DL, it weighs 3200lbs and crash it into a car that weighs 4000lbs, both vehicles are going 40mph and you take an assessment of how the occupants would fair in the Volvo 240DL in that particular crash. THEN you get another 240DL (same exact specs) strip the interior of everything, so now the car weighs 2400lbs (*magically?) and conduct the test once again into the same 4000lb vehicle at the same speeds. Keep in mind, no changes have been made to the car that would affect how the dummy would hit the dash, steering wheel, move around, etc. etc, basically all you did was reduce the amount of "dead" weight inside of the car.

So, would the Volvo 240DL fair better after the modification or not?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Shouldn't make that much difference as the major issue is how the chassis deals with the forces applied by the 4000lb car. That's my view, anyhow.

 

[RichUK]

I?m not too sure, but I think this person might have the answer you're looking for.

 

[SickBeast]

If the crash happened in snow, the reduced weight would reduce the traction as well, thus making the crash worse.

 

[MotF Bane]

I'm thinking no. The momentum received by the 240DL should be the same (or close to it, it's not going to be elastic), but now there's less mass, so higher velocity.

P.S. It's "fare", not "fair".

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I said yes since the structure has less load. However the lightened car will have more acceleration as the lighter car will get pushed backwards more. So the occupants will likely have a more severe time.

 

[exdeath]

^

Acceleration is what causes injury in a collision, and by acceleration we are talking 40 to -40 in less than a second. The force and change in momentum in both vehicles is the same, the only difference is that the lighter mass has more acceleration per given force.

Think of a marble and a billiard ball colliding at the same speed. Which one do you want your body strapped inside of?

 

[thescreensavers]

If you have 2 exact Volvo 240DL cars except one is much lighter in weight.

since this is an "older car" it does not have a crash beam and it does not have the special beams in the frame to channel energy around the occupants

3200 vs 4000 :The heavier car will sit lower then the lighter car thus, in a crash the lighter cars frame will be deflected off the top of the heavier cars frame making the lighter car overtake the heavier car. The heavier car will experience more damage.

2400 vs 4000: this is almost twice the mass, Still it sits higher on its suspension then the 4000 pound car so I think it will start to overtake it like the 3200 pound car but once its gets crushed the heavier car will push the other car.

If I can find the video, they took I think 2 crown vics one loaded with dummys and luggage and the other without head to head. The loaded car had footwell damage for the front seated occupants, were as the lighter crown vic did not. Just because the frame was I think an inch or 2 different.

I voted yes.