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Previous experimental and theoretical studies on isolated human knees have shown that increasing the contact area over the knee during blunt impact can prevent serious knee injury (i.e. joint fracture). Because large contact areas are typically associated with lower stiffness impact interfaces, this suggests that instrument panels could provide some protection to the knee during a car accident. Further, the knee-to-IP contact is one of the first contact events which occur during a head-on crash, thus, one optimal scenario might be to dissipate as much energy as possible at the knee without causing serious knee injury. This would help minimize the kinetic energy in the upper body, possibly reducing the need for more aggressive countermeasures (i.e. air bags) later in the impact event. Our objective in the current study was to determine how different car interior geometries and crash pulses would affect specific occupant responses during a head-on car crash.