1959 Chevrolet Bel Air vs. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu IIHS crash test

Since this touches on the safety of old vs new cars, I'd just like to leave this link to an "old vs new" crash test video here for anyone who might not have seen it before. [VIDEO]

[VIDEO] I always liked this IIHS crash test: 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air vs. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu It really shows the progress. Seatbelts, the "rigid cage" to protect the driver, air bags, etc. etc. The 1959 Bel Air crash-dummy is clearly dead, bouncing around the cabin during the crash. The 2009 Malibu crash-dummy has a sprained neck and the face hurts from hitting the air-bag, but clearly survives.

"Even for people in the car, some older car designs put the drivers legs under the engine block. In a head on collision at speed, the legs were the crumple zone (meanwhile the steering column was being pushed through your torso)." Anytime anyone waxes nostalgic about how "they dont make cars like they used" I think about this video. They sure as hell don't make cars like they used too, you can get out and walk away from a crash in your ugly newer car that would brutally end your life in one of those beautiful classic cars. For anyone that is curious the key thing to pay attention to in survivability here (besides yah know... the airbag) is.. does the interior cab of the car change shape? The cab of the old car violently changes shape in a way that would destroy parts of your body whereas the newer car's cab doesnt seem to be affected at all. Even if getting crushed between the seats and dashboard didnt kill you immediately in the bel air, I struggle to imagine how emergency first responders would even get you out of that. [VIDEO]

Those old boats might be big, but they're not exactly safe or even that heavy. Here's an interesting crash test comparing one to a modern vehicle. [VIDEO] Both of those cars weigh about 3,500lbs. Now swap in a 5,000lbs Tesla, or that new 9,000lbs Hummer EV. That big old car will be nothing but a pile of twisted metal. In short, I don't think you can compare large cars of the past to ones that exist today.

Agreeing with the article. Car software sucks, but hardware is great. Cars have more horsepower, are more fuel efficient, are more reliable, and are most importantly much safer ( to their passengers at least) than they've ever been. Take one minute to watch "1959 Chevrolet Bel Air vs. 2009 Chevrolet Malibu IIHS crash test" [VIDEO]

Modern cars have made it a lot safer to be in a crash. I'd hate to have been driving the 1959 Bel Air in this video: [VIDEO] Still, since not much else is likely to kill the average American 20-something, car crashes rank relatively high, and alcohol remains involved in about a third of all fatal crashes in the US.

Absolutely, also if you get hit from the side there is a lot more to it than just the weight of the car. I'd sooner be in the light car with a chassis that doesn't get crushed into the cabin than a heavy car which does. [VIDEO] I know which one Id like to be in..

It's also not even remotely true. Check out the IIHS crashing a 60s bel air into a modern malibu. "They don't make them like they used to" has always been a nostalgic crock of shit, like the people who think the NES was the golden age of video games, despite the vast majority of the 700 or so releases being utter trash for $60 that sometimes didn't even work! [VIDEO]