I believe the parent is talking about small overlap crash?
Small Overlap tests: this is where only a small portion of the car's structure strikes an object such as a pole or a tree, or if a car were to clip another car. This is the most demanding test because it loads the most force onto the structure of the car at any given speed. These are usually conducted at 15-20% of the front vehicle structure.[1]
Small Overlap tests: this is where only a small portion of the car's structure strikes an object such as a pole or a tree, or if a car were to clip another car. This is the most demanding test because it loads the most force onto the structure of the car at any given speed. These are usually conducted at 15-20% of the front vehicle structure.[1]
Modern cars are surprisingly good at small over crash tests, see this video someone linked on HN a few days ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHlj8-JcWa8
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crash_test