Which of the following statements about collision impacts is true?

The statement that if you double your speed, the energy dissipated in a crash is four times greater is accurate because the relationship between speed and the energy involved in a collision is quadratic. When a vehicle's speed doubles, the kinetic energy, which is calculated using the formula ( KE = \frac{1}{2} mv^2 ) (where ( m ) is mass and ( v ) is velocity), increases in proportion to the square of the speed. Therefore, if speed increases by a factor of two, the kinetic energy increases by a factor of four, which is a critical consideration in understanding the severity of collisions.

In this context, the other statements do not align with the principles of physics governing collisions. The assertion that tripling speed increases impact force by three times overlooks the quadratic nature of kinetic energy, while stating that speed has little effect on impact forces negates the significant increase in severity with increased velocity. Finally, claiming that doubling speed leads to only a two-fold increase in energy during a crash misrepresents how energy scales with velocity in collision scenarios. The correct understanding emphasizes how much more dangerous high speeds become due to the exponential increase in energy upon collision.