[fuel4soul]

I know this might be a dumb question for some, but I've always wondered.

When a car gets a certain safety rating/crash result, Does this matter on the occupants (crash dummies) or how well the car held up?

If a car got a 4-star rollover rating, Does that mean the crash dummies were fairly safe in it, Or does that mean the damage was pretty minimal considering the crash?

Thanks to anyone who can answer, It'd really clear things up.

 

[bobo]

Crash test ratings are based on the deceleration forces on the crash dummies. If there is protrusion into the passenger compartment, that will affect deceleration. For instance, a dummy striking a collapsed roof will experience intense deceleration.

Vehicles are designed with crumple zones. The deformation of the vehicle absorbs the energy, so there will be lots of damage in the safest cars, but the passenger compartment will stay relatively intact.