#### VEHICLE SIZE AND STRUCTURE

An obvious design characteristic influencing crashworthiness is size. The laws of physics dictate that, all else being equal, larger vehicles are safer than smaller vehicles. In relation to their numbers on the road, small cars have more than twice as many occupant deaths each year as large cars. Some people claim small cars are easier to maneuver in an emergency, so they're less likely to be in crashes. But small cars aren't less likely to be in crashes. Insurance claims for vehicle damage, good indicators of overall crash involvement, are more frequent for small cars than large ones.

How the vehicle structure performs in a crash is another important aspect of crashworthiness. Late model car designs include a strong occupant compartment, or "safety cage," along with front and rear crush zones designed to absorb crash energy in a controlled manner. Good structural designs confine crash damage to the crush zones in all but the worst impacts.