“They Just Aren’t Built Like They Used to Be”… Crash Test Results

Crash test results are extremely important nowadays and they’re definitely something buyers should take into consideration when they’re shopping for a new car or truck.   Ever heard this??  …  “They just aren’t built like they used to be.” I’m sure you have all heard or believed that driving a big old sled of a car makes you safer on the road. I remember, joking with my friends while driving around in my ’87 Cadillac DeVille, that I would feel sorry for any car that got into an accident with me and my tank. I thought that my vehicle was indestructible, especially compared to the newer vehicles that looked like they were dinky little plastic toys.

After watching this video about crash test results, however, I now know that the smaller cars can actually achieve better crash test results than the big old boats of yesteryear. In the video the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IHHS) took a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air, which is definitely considered a “tank”, and pitted it against a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. The results were quite shocking to me. According to the techs who were on the site, the Malibu owner would come out of the accident with, at most, damage to their knee or foot. Where as the Bel Air owner would have died instantly. This just shows how much of a leap in safety there has been over the years.

“The bigger they are…” as they say…