During the initial deformation of a vehicle in a crash, what happens to passengers?

• A. They continue traveling forward at the vehicle's speed.
• B. They stop immediately.
• C. They move backward.
• D. They slow down gradually.

Answer: (A)

Inertia is what’s being tested here. When the crash starts and the car rapidly decelerates, your body tends to keep moving at the vehicle’s original speed. The rapid deformation of the car slows the car, but the passengers’ forward motion continues until restraint systems grab hold. Seat belts and airbags then act to slow and redirect that motion safely, so you don’t suddenly stop in place or move backward. So, at the very start of the crash, you’d continue moving forward with the car’s speed due to inertia.