You might have heard the term “good build quality” in many car-related discussions. A car is said to have a “strong build” if it sustains minimal crash damage. A car with extensive damage has a “weak build” or is sometimes called a “tin can”.
Such “Strong vs weak build quality” discussions are common across social media and online forums. A car’s post-crash photograph is often used to conclude the car’s, and even the manufacturer’s, safety image.
However, such discussions are misleading and give a wrong picture.
Quick links:
- Why discussions on “Car Build Quality” are misleading.
- Global NCAP and the rise of car safety awareness.
- The only factor that decides Crashworthiness or “good car build quality”
- The crumple zones
- The passenger compartment
- Occupants also have to do their job
Why discussions on “Car Build Quality” are misleading
All such discussions have a common pattern:
- Multiple photos with captions of the damaged car are displayed.
- All viewers will give their opinion on how good or bad the car’s ‘build quality’ is.
- In many cases, depending on the car’s damage, the manufacturer will either be praised or criticized.
- Many commenters also try to estimate the car’s impact speed.
All such discussions are misleading because they have one important flaw: the lack of data.
A car’s crash performance depends on many factors such as the car’s speed, weight, movement before impact, impact angle, collision partner stiffness characteristics, and so on. All these factors cannot be determined through one single photograph. Only an on-site crash investigation and data collection give an accurate depiction of a car’s crash performance.
Another flaw is that we are comparing apples and oranges when we compare the crash performance of two cars. Crash parameters need to be similar to make any comparisons between the two car’s build quality and crash performance. For example, a car that hits a wall at 90 kph will always perform poorly compared to another car that hits a pole at 60 kph. That does not mean that the first car has a bad build quality. That is why it is important to collect all important data before making any conclusions.
Right now, the only usable comparison parameter is a crash test rating. However, even crash tests cannot be completely relied upon…
Global NCAP and the rise of car safety awareness
The rise in the “car build quality” discussions can be attributed to the New Car Assessment Programs (NCAP). Over the past 3-4 years, multiple Indian cars have been crash-tested by the Global NCAP. The Global NCAP gives a star rating of out five to each car. A “5-star” rating is the highest and considered the best in safety.
Initially, many cars sold in India received a zero- or one-star rating. However, in the past couple of years, some manufacturers have used safety as a marketing tool to promote new cars. This has resulted in an increase in 4 or 5-star safety-rated cars at a price many Indians can afford.
On paper, this is a positive trend for road safety in India. I mean, who would not want to travel in a safe car?!
However, many Indian buyers fail to realize that the NCAP ratings have many limitations. A “5-star” rated car is not going to save you in all crashes. The “5-star” rated car has only earned that rating for the crash test. You cannot expect the same results in real-world crashes.
Don’t get me wrong. An NCAP crash test is still the best resource we have to determine a car’s robustness. I also consider a robust car body to be one of the most important safety features in a car. However, having a robust or strong body is much different than what people assume it to be.
The only factor that decides Crashworthiness or “good car build quality”
To put it simply, every car has one primary purpose: To safely transport the occupants from point A to point B.
Everything else is secondary.
Crashworthiness (the technical term for a good car build quality) is the car’s ability to protect the occupants in a crash. The car’s body structure or chassis determines its crashworthiness.
Safety-wise, a car’s chassis can be split into two main sections: the crumple zones and the passenger compartment.
The crumple zones
Credits: Airbag vector created by brgfx – www.freepik.com
The crumple zone is an area around the passenger cabin that acts as the first line of defense in a crash. Each component in the crumple zone is made up of high-strength steel and is designed to break off or “crumple” in a crash.
This sounds a bit counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Why would a car’s safety component be designed to break off in a crash? Ideally, the structure should remain strong and be indestructible!
An indestructible car sounds good. But, thanks to the laws of physics, such a car will not save the occupants. In fact, you can drive an army tank at high speeds and still die if you hit a strong enough wall! If you are curious about how this works, you can learn about the physical laws governing a car crash here.
A car must dissipate the maximum impact energy to save the occupants. The crumple zone does this job. Not only does the crumpling dissipate the impact energy, but it also increases the time of the impact (another important consideration in crash physics). That is why a car’s front area that crumpled in a crash should not be immediately considered “weak”. The crumpling is a part of the car’s safety design!
The passenger compartment
The crumple zones are the first line of defense for a car’s safety. If the crumple zones fail to protect a car from an impact, the next and strongest line of defense comes into action: The passenger compartment.
The passenger compartment consists of the pillars (A, B, C), side rails, front rails, side panels, and the roof. It is a cage or cocoon that protects the occupants. A car’s passenger compartment is designed using the strongest materials possible. Unlike the crumple zone, the passenger compartment is not designed to crumple or break off. If the cabin breaks off; the occupants inside would get exposed!
The crumple zone and passenger compartment work together to improve a car’s crashworthiness.
The only factor that decides the car’s crashworthiness or build quality is its ability to protect the occupants.
- A car may that has been crushed completely from the front is still considered crashworthy if the passenger compartment is intact and the passengers are unhurt.
- Similarly, a car that has minimal damage on the outside can be considered non-crashworthy if the passengers inside are hurt because the car did not dissipate the crash energy.
Some cars tend to crumple around the front bumper regions even at low-speed impacts. This is done by design. Many countries have regulations that push for softer bumpers as these bumpers are safer for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.
Occupants also have to do their job
Even a crash-worthy car will not save the occupants if the occupants themselves have not taken safety measures.
All car safety features are designed by assuming that the occupants inside are properly restrained using seat belts or child car seats. The primary assumption in NCAP rating is that all occupants, including children, are restrained.
Your car’s body structure may perform splendidly in a crash. But, the car will not save you if you and your family are not properly restrained. Passive safety features such as seat belts and child car seats are the last line of defense in a crash. You cannot blame the car or manufacturer if you get injured because you were not wearing a belt.
Focus on the occupants and not the car
Never try to determine a car’s build quality on how the car “looks” after a crash. Focus on how well the car protected its restrained occupants.
Also, remember that chance plays a major role in a crash. Many variables affect a crash’s outcome. Even a minor change in one variable can turn a minor injury crash into a fatal one.
Remember that your safety is always in your hands.
Last Updated on February 12, 2023 by RSG