In a collision, what does occupant collides inside the vehicle refer to?

• A. An occupant outside collides with another vehicle
• B. A vehicle collides with a stationary object
• C. A pedestrian collides with the vehicle
• D. An occupant collides inside the vehicle

Answer: (D)

In a crash, there are multiple collisions happening, including how the person inside the vehicle can strike interior surfaces. The phrase describes the interior impact of an occupant—hits to the dashboard, steering wheel, windshield, or seats—that occur as the vehicle decelerates or rebounds. This is the occupant collision within the vehicle, not an external event. The other options involve people or objects outside the vehicle or the vehicle itself colliding with something else (an outside pedestrian, or the vehicle hitting a stationary object), which do not describe an interior impact by someone inside the car.