a motor vehicle has a safety body structure and side doors , each side being fixed to a door pillar of the safety body structure by at least one door hinge . when the vehicle receives a frontal impact , the forces which are imparted to the front section of the safety body structure are transmitted to the door pillar and are transmitted by the door to other body parts further away from the point of impact when the side door remains closed or is supported against the door pillar in the area of the door hinge without swinging outwardly . in order to prevent the front end of the door from swinging outwardly , the front end is caused to move , upon frontal impact to the vehicle , parallel to or inwardly toward a longitudinal center line of the vehicle by a controlled orientation of the deformation of a door hinge part in relation to the door pillar .