[SixSigma]

It definitely is true. In a collision the vehicles absorb the energy of the collision inversely proportional to their relative masses i.e. the lighter car takes the brunt of the crash.

Safety researchers are responding by using active protection systems: in vehicles equippped with v2v transcievers will stiffen or soften their crash protection systems based upon the relative masses of the vehicles.

[thaumasiotes]

Imagine the following:

- two people driving paper-thin cars crash into each other head-on at 60 mph. The cars divide the energy of the collision evenly, disintegrate, and pass on a lot of energy to their passengers.

- two people driving huge voluminous and massive SUVs crash into each other head-on at 60 mph. The SUVs divide the energy of the collision evenly, warping into unrecognizable crumply wads of steel. The passengers take less damage than in the earlier scenario.

This is impossible?

[SixSigma]

Sounds like you're restating my premise.

[thaumasiotes]

Yes, the question mark indicates that I want you to confirm I'm understanding correctly. Seems so. Why is that impossible? We know from the trivial case of a person flying along at 60 mph with no car (maybe they were fired out of a cannon?) that you can reduce damage to the passenger by adding mass.

[Dylan16807]

You're ignoring the word 'just'.