Head-on accidents between cars and trucks are among the deadliest on our roads: in the vast majority of cases, unfortunately, the driver loses his life. Maybe there's a solution to make these collisions less tragic, and it comes from Sweden. This is an innovation that could revolutionize the safety of heavy vehicles: a "life-saving" bumper capable of better protecting the car's occupants. How does it work? Let's see together, calmly.
Salvation does not have to be a miracle
Let's put it this way: if your small car collides with a 40-ton beast, the chances of escaping unscathed are equal to those David had against Goliath. Except that in reality, there is rarely a providential slingshot to turn the tide of the unequal clash.
The problem, explain the scientists of Chalmers University of Technology, is that the deformation zones designed to absorb impact energy in cars do not always "fit" perfectly with those of trucks. Result? The poor car crumples like a can, while the giant of the road gets away with a few scratches.
The knight with the shiny bumper
The Swedish team led by prof. Robert thomson has come up with hi-tech armor to make trucks “kinder” to cars. It is a honeycomb front structure, made with hexagonal aluminum tubes that form a bumper jutting forward, almost like a shield.
The secret? It's all in the material: this metallic “house of cards” is made up 97% from air, which makes it super light and deformable. In practice, it acts like a huge cushion capable of cushioning the blow when the car crashes into it.
The ultimate sacrifice
The bumper, as I write in the title, is a true "superhero" of the road, willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the weakest. By varying the thickness of the structure (definitely greater than that of the foil that my colleague Tony uses to wrap his sandwiches), it is possible to adjust the shock absorption capacity.
The tests carried out by Swedish Transport Administration speak clearly: the “life-saving” front reduces car interior deformations by 30 to 60%, with a consequent reduction in the risk of death or serious injury for those behind the wheel. And as an extra bonus, the truck itself also suffers less damage to its steering, brakes and suspension. Win-win situation, or rather: win-win… For life! Take a look.
Step forward, big jaw
Some might wonder why this solution is only arriving now. Well, it's the fault of certain short-sighted European regulations which, until 2019, forced manufacturers to create "flat nose" trucks to maximize loading space. Result? Bumpers reduced to the bare bones, with no margin for safety measures.
Now that the ties have finally been loosened, new scenarios are opening up. Not just Superman, then, but also a bit of Ridge Forrester, given that the truck superhero sports a rather prominent "jaw". How to say? A touch of American style in the old continent.
With great bumpers comes great responsibility
Of course, the idea of “throwing yourself under cars” might not excite truck drivers who are proud of their status as “king of the road”. But what can you do, even superheroes have their moments of existential crisis.
The important thing is to remember that, ultimately, it is a sacrifice for a just cause. Because if it is true that "the important thing is not how you fall, but how you get up", in the case of road accidents the ideal would be not to fall at all.
With this new life-saving bumper, trucks are ready to take a beating for you. All you have to do is cross your fingers and hope you never have to thank them in person.
