Crumple zones are areas of a vehicle that are designed to deform and crumple in a collision, absorbing some of the energy of the impact and preventing it from being transmitted to the occupants. They are typically located in the front and rear of a vehicle, and they transfer some of the vehicles kinetic energy into a controlled crumpling upon impact while preserving the integrity of the passenger cabin. The crumpling slows down the vehicle before it comes to a stop, which essentially reduces the impact force. Although the car may be heavily damaged, it can prevent the occupants from sustaining severe injuries.

Crumple zones work by managing crash energy and increasing the time over which the deceleration of the occupants of the vehicle occurs, while also preventing unrestrained vehicle contents from impacting the vehicle interior with a force equivalent to many times their normal weight due to gravity. The physics involved can be expressed by the equation: force = mass x acceleration. Crumple zones are designed to increase the time over which the total force from the change in momentum is applied to an occupant, as the average force applied to the occupants is inversely related to the time over which it is applied.

In summary, crumple zones are an important safety feature that limit car accident injuries and reduce the number of vehicular fatalities. They are designed to absorb the energy of an accident in a way that is predictable and expected, acting as an accordion during a crash and slowing down the vehicle before it comes to a stop, which reduces the amount of force exerted on the occupants.