In special vehicle construction, the safety cell is a specially protected area of the vehicle in which the crew is accommodated. Especially in military use, specially manufactured special vehicles are usually equipped with such special occupant protection. The safety cell, which is often already made of resistant material such as armored steel, is specially reinforced on the sides and underbody to withstand armor-piercing ammunition and mines. Composite armor made of various materials is used to protect against mines or booby traps
In addition to providing protection against external hazards, the safety cell in a military vehicle is generally designed in such a way that no parts can come loose in the event of fire or vibrations inside the vehicle, thus putting the crew at additional risk.
Safety cell in passenger cars
Over the past decades, the safety cell has been a focus of constant further development in the automotive sector in order to provide the best possible protection for occupants in the event of an accident. Today, even normal passenger cars are many times safer than their predecessors from the past. Passive and proactive occupant protection, i.e. the combination of safety equipment and assistance systems, also help here.
Similar to a military vehicle, the safety cell is also specially protected in special vehicles from the passenger car segment, for example with vehicle armor and bullet-proof windows for ballistic protection. Due to the higher weight of the safety cell and other adaptations to the vehicle in general (for example, special fail-safe wheels), modifications to the chassis technology are necessary.
