Now this one you have got to see. Crash tests have proved to be an interesting thing to watch over the years. Head on collisions, rollovers -- not to mention the horrific test results from some Chinese vehicles. The main body for vehicle safety testing in the United States, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary.
Birthday cake, huge party? No, the IIHS decided to celebrate by going big and doing what it does best -- perform crash tests. Witness the video below. The IIHS picked the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu and the 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air to demonstrate how far automotive safety has come in that time. Witness:
Classic car enthusiasts everywhere are cringing! Beyond that though, the results are amazing to see because no one has ever quite done anything like this before. The driver of the 1959 Bel Air most likely would have died in the accident, with the IIHS saying:
“The dummy’s head struck the steering wheel rim and hub and then the roof and unpadded metal instrument panel to the left of the steering wheel…. The windshield was completely dislodged from the car and the driver door opened during the crash, both presenting a risk of ejection. In addition, the front bench seat was torn away from the floor on the driver side.”
As you can see, results on the Malibu are much better. “A high acceleration was recorded on the left foot, indicating that foot injuries would be possible.” It didn’t take a genius to figure out the result, but it’s still interesting to see it actually on film. It also puts to rest anyone who says classic cars are safer because “they are built better”.
October 11th, 2009 at 6:44 am
Tony……My firends and I think this was a total phony car crash set set up to show how much safer the new cars are. It looks to us as if the alignment was such to make sure the impact was in such a way to be sure to get the driver of the Bel Air, but not the driver of the Malibu. I personally suspect that there may not have even been an engine in the Bel Air the way it reacted upon impact !
Jack
October 27th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Not only do I suspect a engine less car but a wholly rusted out frame. Note all the rust dust flying into the air. Rusted out floor pan doesn’t hold a seat down at anytime. A fresh coat of paint, rust in colour to hide evidence…