Crash Test Integrity

Thought this would be useful information for those of us who have ever wondered how these cars do in crash tests and the effects on the driver and passengers. I noticed awhile back that the NHTSA has been uploading crash test videos to Youtube and there are a few concerning these cars. They are a little painful to watch, but you really get a sense of the structural integrity. Watch at your own risk and watch them all the way through. They show all the aspects in slow motion throughout the videos.

In this first one, a 78 4 door hits a Plymouth in the driver's side. The Plymouth is going to the junk yard and the 78 appears to be drivable and easily fixable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJVO5Kf9aGo

This next one is an 82 Caprice frontal crash into a wall. While it's an 82, it still similar enough to a 77-79. It is bad. You don't want to hit a brick wall. What's interesting is how the dummies are thrust forward and the seatbelt doesn't hold you back which is what I've always feared about seatbelts. The car is completely totaled, but the dash is still relatively in the same place and the engine doesn't come into the cabin which is nice. Painful to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOjKXjKGW3s

In this one, a 79 Impala goes head on into a Dodge Van. During the slow motion, watch how the dummies are thrust forward even with seatbelts on. Painful to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLcULzNgT0c

Wow. It really does show how far we've come in automotive safety. I'll admit that I tend to convince myself that I'm pretty safe in my big old cars. But vehicles today are multitudes safer in moderate speed crashes like this. The mass advantage isn't even as great as you'd think just by looking at them. A 79 Caprice with a V8 only has about 300 pounds over a 2014 Malibu for instance.

I'm not letting that stop me from driving my old junk though. I like driving them because they're comfortable, fun to drive and you don't see 'em around anymore.

Best safety feature you can install is some defensive driving techniques. Some accidents are unavoidable, but not putting your self in high risk situations is your best bet on staying alive.