> a sideswipe is almost certainly preferable for everyone than plowing head on at full speed. I’m fairly sure this is not true. Modern cars have lots of energy

> a sideswipe is almost certainly preferable for everyone than plowing head on at full speed. I’m fairly sure this is not true. Modern cars have lots of energy-absorbing crumple zones in the front, plus airbags. Head-on is the most highly-optimized crash orientation. Side-swipes are I believe the worst case, because there is so little protection for the driver.