OLD VERSUS NEW

AA Directions magazine winter 2017 edition had an article comparing old versus new in a crash test. So for those of you that are not members and receive the free magazine I’d like to share the results.

The test vehicles were a 1998 Toyota Corolla against a younger 2015 model. The concept was to demonstrate safety features of a modern car. Scenario is a head on impact at a speed of 64km with crash test dummies.

Results:

1998 Toyota – Scored 0.4 out of 16

2015 Toyota – Scored 12.93 out of 16

Conclusion

The 1998 vehicle only registered a percentage of chest protection, it did not even have airbags which at a minimum would have protected the head and torso. If this had been a real accident it was potentially not survivable.

Where as the 2015 vehicle registered perfect scores for head, chest, upper legs but driver possibly could have had a broken leg but would have been alive.

So what the test clearly shows is higher protection provided to occupants inside the cabin of a newer car. A lot of people still believe an older vehicle is more solid because newer cars seem to look worse after accidents. Newer vehicles are designed to crumple in key places so that the cabin stays in tact as much as possible with end result meaning protection/safety for the occupants.

In New Zealand we have about 3 million cars on the road with an average age of 14 years. About 40% of those cars were built before 2000 and involved in 57% of fatalities. With cars built between 2010-2015 accounting for 17% and involved in only 10% of the fatalities.

The results are very alarming. So if you own an older vehicle it maybe time to look to upgrade at least a few years.

Minimum features you should look for are:

Driver and passenger airbags

ABS brakes

Obviously the newer you go and the more money you spend the better the safety features will be. The video is available to be viewed on you tube but its not pretty.