Crumple zone, yes, but ...
10/15/2015
"In recent years, the public has become increasingly interested in the problems of accident-proof cars. The sharp rise in traffic accidents, but also the fierce criticism of the American safety apostle Nader, who accused the industry of lethargic behavior with regard to accident protection and safety in the automobile, gave a decisive impetus to the general discussion about the accident-proof vehicle," wrote the Automobil Revue in an article in 1969.
In fact, car manufacturers (e.g. Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, etc.) had already made considerable investments and had already achieved a great deal.
However, as many cars were still very compact and lightweight, they could not keep up with heavy large limousines in terms of safety standards.
The picture of a Goggomobil (above) shows that the car was shortened by around half a meter in the accident, but that the kinetic energy could not be absorbed to protect the crew. There was simply not enough deformable structure to protect the crew.
We are certainly in a much better position today, but at the expense of weight, as cars weighing less than 500 kg are almost impossible to build according to modern safety standards.
