Automobile collision can result in serious injury and loss of life, as well as costly damage to vehicles and other property. My invention mitigates collision impacts to protect the Vehicle from damage and its Passengers from harm. A Vehicle absorbs destructive impact energy when it collides with another vehicle or a fixed object, including a head-on collision with another vehicle.

My invention transfers collision impact energy from the Vehicle's Bumper structures to a mechanical System, diverting and absorbing most of the destructive kinetic energy.

Impact energy to the Vehicle is received by the front or rear Bumpers of the Vehicle, or from side impacts to the doors via Load Spreaders. The Energy Transfer and Absorption Units (ETAs) will be installed directly inside of front, rear and side Bumper points. ETAs are anchored to the Chassis, inside of, atop, beneath or integral to it. One ETA unit may be used per side (Figure 1). Or else a pair of units at each impact point, or all connected by plumbing to a central cylinder.

A Striker component is affixed to the inner side of the Bumper (Figure 2). The Bumpers may be of a floating or articulated design to allow a small amount of motion inward upon impact. But kinetic energy may transfer to the Striker even if the Bumper is mounted without any special articulation.

A Kinetic Energy Transfer Shuttle is placed inside of and tightly contacting, but not attached to, the Striker. At the moment of collision impact to the Bumper, the Striker is energized to hit the Shuttle behind it. The Shuttle may comprise a solid steel cylinder. It may have some weight and density, to absorb kinetic energy and to travel freely inward, once energized by the Striker. The transferred energy propels the Shuttle inward, much like a cue ball struck sharply by the tip of a billiard cue stick.

A Spring Return could maintain contact of the Shuttle with the inner end of the Striker when at rest. Guides are placed as necessary to ensure unencumbered motion of the Shuttle inward once energized by an impact.

Energy Transfer Shuttle inner end is connected to a Piston Rod, with a Spring Return. The Piston Rod is connected to a Piston pushing against a Fluid, such as hydraulic fluid, water, air or gas, or even a gel, foam or crumple means, within a Cylinder. The Fluid receives the transferred kinetic energy of impact. The shock absorbing fluid may be a gas, or a liquid, as for a hydraulic or pneumatic spring or retarder means.