Quote:
Originally Posted by Rapscallion St Croix
It doesn't work that way. What you get is the equivalent of hitting a solid wall at 20MPH.
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Sorry, but that's not right. It does work that way. I know what you mean about a solid wall...there's less energy absorption than a more collapsible vehicle. But it doesn't change the fact that...
When two vehicles collide, it's the RELATIVE speed that determines the severity of the impact. If two vehicles collide head-on, each going 20 MPH, it is the equivalent of a 40 MPH collision.
Consider this, if you're traveling along going 20 MPH, and you hit the vehicle ahead of you, which is going in the same direction at 19 MPH, the collision is not that significant. Because the relative speed (differential) is only 1 MPH.