Recently, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted a crash test b/t a 1959 Chevy Bel-Air and a 2009 Chevy Malibu to determine which vehicle would hold up better from the impact. So now we can finally determine if the “they don’t build cars like they used to” theory is really true. So what was the result? Although today’s cars are much lighter and contain many plastic and composite parts, the technology that goes into building them has resulted in a safer car than those built back in the day.
Absent the seatbelts, airbags, and crush zones, the structure of the Bel-Air proved to be weaker during the impact. During the test, the Bel-Air’s body crumbled severely, the windshield popped out, the steering column smashed into the dummy driver, and the driver’s side door opened. The damage in general to the vintage car was quite devastating. The Malibu, on the other hand, provided enough protection to earn the IIHS’s highest safety rating.
I guess all that steel wasn’t as safe as we all thought.
To check out the crash video, click here. Be sure to compare the effect the impact had on each dummy driver. For the Bel-Air dummy driver, the injuries would have been extremely severe.
Old vs. New Car Crash Test Results
Recently, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted a crash test b/t a 1959 Chevy Bel-Air and a 2009 Chevy Malibu to determine which vehicle would hold up better from the impact. So now we can finally determine if the “they don’t build cars like they used to” theory is really true. So what was the result? Although today’s cars are much lighter and contain many plastic and composite parts, the technology that goes into building them has resulted in a safer car than those built back in the day.
Absent the seatbelts, airbags, and crush zones, the structure of the Bel-Air proved to be weaker during the impact. During the test, the Bel-Air’s body crumbled severely, the windshield popped out, the steering column smashed into the dummy driver, and the driver’s side door opened. The damage in general to the vintage car was quite devastating. The Malibu, on the other hand, provided enough protection to earn the IIHS’s highest safety rating.
I guess all that steel wasn’t as safe as we all thought.
To check out the crash video, click here. Be sure to compare the effect the impact had on each dummy driver. For the Bel-Air dummy driver, the injuries would have been extremely severe.
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