1952 – Crumple zones
Early examples of a crumple zones were developed and patented by Mercedes-Benz in 1952, first installed in the Mercedes-Benz 220 in 1959. Crumple zones are the simplest feature of passive safety design, absorbing the kinetic energy released in a crash to protect passengers.
When did crumple zones become common?
Crumple Zones were first developed by Mercedes Benz in 1952, and are now standard on all cars in the United States.
Who first invented crumple zones?
Transport visionary. His biggest breakthrough came in 1951 when he registered patent DBP 854.157 – commonly known as the “crumple zone”. Béla Barényi was the first to recognise – years before, in fact – that kinetic energy should be dissipated by deformation so as not to harm the occupants of the vehicle.
