en:Car Terms:P:Programmed Deformation Zones COM/EN

SEAT Glossary

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P

Programmed Deformation Zones

Already at the design stage of a car's body structure, specific areas such as the front or rear are designed so that in an accident they deform in a predetermined manner and so significantly reduce impact energy.

This contributes to a significant reduction of the forces acting on occupants in an accident and appreciably lowers the risk of injury to passengers.

The passenger safety cell of a car, however, is designed so that even in serious accidents its structure and thus the residual space for the occupants remains largely intact. The accident forces are specifically directed around the passenger compartment into other body sections. It is primarily crash tests that are responsible for the practical testing of the effectiveness of programmed deformation zones. All SEAT models have programmed deformation zones.