What is a Delta V, and why should I be concerned with it?
Delta V is a term used to define the change in speed that a vehicle goes through when it hits something. For instance, if a car was traveling 30 mph when it hits a deer, even without braking, the force of the impact would immediately slow the car down to 28 mph. The car then is said to have experienced a Delta V (change in speed) of 2 mph. The poor deer, who was standing still when hit, was suddenly accelerated to 28 mph and therefore experienced a Delta V of 28 mph. Experience has shown that the Delta V is easily comparable to damage resulting from the impact. In the above example, the 2 mph Delta V on the car would probably only result in some scuff marks. However, at a Delta V of 28 mph, the chance of the deer surviving the crash is slim to none. Consequently, a Delta V can be used to describe what damage may be found on a vehicle, and what injuries one might expect to see.
