Side-on impacts present particular risks to occupants, as this area of your car's body, unlike the front and rear, provides hardly any way of absorbing energy by means of crumple zones. We use different safety mechanisms in the side of the car, to effectively reduce the risk of injury. They include:
- Side impact bars to increase the stiffness of the doors and distribute the energy in the event of a side-on crash.
- Large door overlaps with the side columns increase the deformation strength. The forces that occur in a crash can then be better absorbed into the floor and the roof supports.
- Stable A, B and C pillars, as well as side airbags and head-protection airbags.
Article source: www.volkswagen.co.uk