Steel in Your Car

Steel Provides Ultimate Protection on the Road

Do you ever think about what would protect you if you were in a car crash?  Even though you might not, fortunately your automakers do.

The structure of your car, often referred to as the safety cage, is designed with you safety in mind.  That’s why it’s made from steel.  A steel safety cage absorbs the energy created in a crash by bending without breaking.  Because steel is strong, and gets stronger as it bends, it reduces the chance of intrusion into the passenger compartment, better protecting you and your family.  The safety cage also helps prevent problems that occur as the result of a crash, such as another collision, rollover of the vehicle or a fire.

Steel comprises approximately 62 percent of a vehicle’s overall weight.  While the vehicle’s safety cage provides the base strength, there are other steel components that are designed for safety:

• A steel roof protects passengers by helping the vehicle remain structurally sound if it rolls over in an accident.
• The seat structures and instrument panel of a car are made from steel for added safety and protection of the occupant.
• Seat tracks are made of steel to minimize the risk of a passenger being injured during a car crash because the seat assemblies were pulled off the tracks.
• In addition to a steel buckle, steel parts anchor seat belts.  This helps ensure that passengers stay safely secured in their seats throughout a crash.
• A steel beam is placed inside the doors to help absorb the energy of a side-impact collision.
• Steel door latches help keep the doors closed during a crash, enhancing the strength of the safety cage.
• Steel bumpers absorb energy during a crash and minimize damage during low-speed impacts.
• Steel fuel tank systems meet a 15-year or better life requirement against different types of corrosion.
• The steel shaft of the steering column, steel idler and pitman arms, as well as tie rods, help ensure the car goes reliably where the driver directs it. Even under the most stressful conditions, steel steering components located under the vehicle will maintain their structural integrity and provide the driver with the ability to control the direction of the vehicle.

In addition to being number one in safety, steel is the environmental leader among automotive materials.  Thanks to the industry’s efficient recycling infrastructure, virtually 100 percent of the steel used in an automobile can be recycled.  And recycled steel is used to make more cars, as well as bridges, food cans, construction beams and many other steel products.

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