Which type of damage is not caused directly by the impact of a collision?

Induced damage is characterized by changes that occur as a secondary effect of the collision, rather than being a direct result of the impact itself. When a collision occurs, the immediate forces exerted lead to contact damage, structural damage, and surface damage, all of which are direct consequences of the physical interaction between the objects involved.

Induced damage, on the other hand, may manifest later due to factors such as shifting components, stress redistribution, and the delay in failure of materials that were not directly impacted. For example, an area of a vehicle might experience induced damage weeks after an accident, as the stress from a collision leads to fatigue or failure in a related part. This distinction highlights that induced damage is not a result of the initial contact but can arise as a consequence of the dynamics set in motion by that contact.

In contrast, contact damage results from objects physically colliding; structural damage refers to the distortion or failure of the material framework; and surface damage often pertains to scratch marks or deformations that occur at the collision site.