While it may seem like a more modern spin on vehicles, cars have been made from plastic since the 1940s. Thanks to Henry Ford, technological developments helped find new and improved ways to make durable and reliable cars that weighed less than those fashioned from steel.
But why are cars made of plastic? There are many reasons why plastics have been the material of choice for modern-day vehicles.
Image by LEEROY Agency from Pixabay
The Role of Plastic in Automobile Manufacturing
Henry Ford was ahead of his time, and if he were alive today, he’d be proud of how his innovations have evolved over the years. Here is how plastic fits into the automotive manufacturing process and how it benefits consumers overall.
Plastic Is Lightweight
Using plastic instead of metal creates a more lightweight vehicle. Plastics aren’t as heavy as other materials, so when utilized in the automotive industry, this material will not add as much weight to the car.
This helps positively impact fuel efficiency. The more a car weighs, the more fuel it will use. Lightening the load lessens the environmental burden of gas-powered vehicles and reduces the cost of ownership for drivers.
Potential for Safety
Plastics are much more flexible, and many industry experts claim they are less likely to cause serious injury compared to components made from other materials. Plastic can absorb impact well, and particularly on the interior, the flexibility can protect vehicle occupants from more serious injuries in a car accident.
Reusability
While steel can be reused, plastics are celebrated for their greater ease of recycling. Plastic components from junked cars can be reused to make other products. This keeps them out of landfills and helps them reduce environmental impacts.
Greater Flexibility in Design
The vehicles that are designed today come in many more designs than years before. This is because plastic is easier to mold into any shape, allowing for more intricacy in designs. Customization is possible through this flexible material, which breaks up the monotony of former automotive designs.
Cost-Effective Option for Auto Manufacturers
Compared to metal components, manufacturing cars from plastics works out more cost-effectively. Since plastics can be molded into any desired shape, there is no longer a need for machining processes that are far pricier. Cars are made from plastic because they keep costs down, they weigh less, they consume less gas due to their lower weight, and they offer a safe and environmentally friendly way to build vehicles for the road ahead.
Which Is Safer—Lighter or Heavier Vehicles?
While manufacturers work to make vehicles safer with technology and design, occupants in a lighter vehicle that is smaller in size are at greater risk. Smaller, lighter cars are more dangerous in an accident because they exert more force on the passengers.
Larger, heavier cars are less susceptible to being pushed during a collision. Additionally, smaller, lighter cars have less mass which results in more crumpling. The more a vehicle is crushed, the greater danger to a driver and their passengers.
Things are getting even more complex with the introduction of electric vehicles. The batteries in these vehicles are larger and heavier, making these types of vehicles more of a threat to those in small, lightweight cars made from plastic parts.
What Factors Lead to the Most Car Accidents?
Even if you have one of the safest vehicles on the road, that won’t always guarantee that you’ll walk away from a car accident without injuries. Depending on the speed, angle, and other factors involved, you may be seriously hurt no matter how well-built a vehicle you drive.
The top reason that car accidents occur is through driver error and negligent actions. Here is a look at the most common factors that lead to car accidents.
Distracted Driving
Plastic or not, you could suffer severe injuries when a driver of another vehicle is distracted. Distractions are visual, manual, and cognitive, taking the attention away from the road ahead. Some drivers text while driving while others are trying to find their way by GPS. Eating, drinking, grooming, trying to grab something out of reach, talking to passengers, or plain and simple daydreaming are all distracted driving actions that cause car crashes.
Impaired Driving
Even top safety-rated vehicles are vulnerable to drunk drivers. When a driver gets behind the wheel while intoxicated, they tend to make major errors in judgment. They also have a slower reaction time, making it more likely they will get into an accident.
Drowsy Driving
There are many reasons why people get fatigued while driving. Late nights at work or exhaustion from working and caring for a family can make people too tired when they’re behind the wheel. If a driver is drowsy, they are just as dangerous as one who is intoxicated.
Failure to Obey Traffic Laws
Some drivers don’t follow the rules of the road, running stop signs or zipping through red lights. They may fail to yield the right of way or cause issues with merging or changing lanes. When drivers do not obey these laws, they can cause an accident with serious injuries.
Reckless Driving
Drivers who engage in reckless behaviors have little regard for others. They speed, weave in and out of traffic, tailgate, and brake check. When cars are made of plastic or are small in size, occupants in these vehicles are at greater risk for severe bodily harm when they encounter these types of drivers.
Failure to Maintain the Vehicle
Every driver should make sure their vehicle is well-maintained and ready for the road. Drivers who skip having tires and brakes maintained at proper intervals risk losing control on the road. If they cause a car accident, they could be held liable.
Dangerous Road Conditions
Weather is one thing that is out of your control that makes driving far more dangerous in a vehicle made from any material. While you can’t stop the rain, fog, ice, or snow, you can adjust your driving to the conditions. Drivers speed when these weather conditions are present could be at fault for any accident they cause.
In other cases, road conditions are worsened by construction and poor signage. If this was a factor in your car crash, you’ll want to talk to an attorney in car accident cases to find out more about your legal options.
What Types of Injuries Can Be Sustained in Cars Made of Plastic?
If your car is primarily made from plastic and smaller, you may be more vulnerable to serious injuries in a car accident. It will depend on the type of vehicle that crashes into yours, how fast it was going, the angle at which it made contact with your vehicle, and many other factors.
Even in a minor rear-end collision, the force exerted on your vehicle could leave you with whiplash and other soft tissue injuries. Crashes that occur at high speeds or in the middle of intersections often cause neck injuries, back injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and internal bleeding. Broken bones, strains, sprains, amputations, and paralysis are other injuries that may result from your accident.
What to Do If You Get Into a Car Accident in a Car Made from Plastic?
Whether your car is made from plastic or not, and whether or not it is small or large, you must know what to do when you get into a crash. Auto accidents are incredibly disorienting and it can be difficult in those first moments to know the steps to take.
Without a doubt, the first step you need to take is to call the police. Calling 911 alerts authorities to the accident and if you suspect any injuries, you can let them know and they’ll send paramedics out as well.
In those first moments, if you are capable of getting out of your vehicle, take as many photos as you can. Videos will also help you pan across the entire accident aftermath to show the intersection, weather, and lighting conditions.
Once police are on the scene, they will create a police report. They will note the vehicles involved and if the other driver violated any traffic laws or was intoxicated, they will issue citations, which will be listed in this report.
While you may feel fine, cars made from plastic may cause you to get shaken up a bit more. For this reason, you must get a full medical examination. You may have internal injuries that can become life-threatening if you don’t seek treatment.
When you have been in a car accident that someone else caused and you have injuries, the costs of treating these injuries can spiral out of control. You’ll be stuck with all these expenses thanks to another person’s careless actions. It is important to talk to a car accident lawyer who can review your case and provide you with the legal representation and negotiation skills you need to recover your financial losses from this event.
