Quote:
Originally Posted by EddyB66
Hypothetical:
If you are in a head on collision are you better off being the car going faster or slower?
are these two cars with the same mass and current safety features? if so, i'd guess you'd be better off in the car going slower. i'm thinking about the momentum of your body moving forward while the car around you comes to a sudden stop. i'd rather be the body in a car moving 50 coming to a sudden stop than the body in a car moving 80 coming to a sudden stop.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EddyB66
So based on that info. If a car is coming at us head on, we should gun it.
Newton's second and third laws of motion come into play.
Newton's second law: F=MA (force=mass x acceleration) assuming both cars have the same mass then it's best for everyone involved if the speed is lower.
Newton's third law: When one body exerts a force on a second body, the second body simultaneously exerts a force equal in magnitude and opposite in direction on the first body.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larry Legend
It would probably be better to be the car going faster, but it would probably be best to be in an accident with a lower overall impact.
one vehicle speeding up increases the overall forces of the collision.