It’s no secret that cars today are far safer than they were two decades ago. Incremental improvements to air bags, crumple zones and chassis materials have all contributed to vehicle designs that perform better in accidents, thereby protecting drivers and passengers from harm. Because these changes have happened so gradually, however, you may not realize just how much safer your current vehicle is than the one you drove back in the 90’s.
Well, thanks to the Euro New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), now you can see what a difference 20 years makes when it comes to car safety.
Euro NCAP is the agency responsible for conducting crash tests throughout the United Kingdom and European Union. To celebrate the organization’s 20th anniversary, Euro NCAP recently published a video that compares crash test footage of a 1997 Rover 100 with that of a 2017 Honda Jazz (known in the US as a Honda Fit). The results are predictably dramatic.
The 2017 Honda is able to absorb most of the force of a front-end impact before it reaches the passenger compartment. It’s a nasty accident that totals the car, but human occupants would probably walk away with fairly minor injuries. Passengers in the ’97 Rover, on the other hand, would not be so lucky.
In this crash, the front-end impact causes the passenger compartment to twist and buckle, driving the head of one dummy into the vertical pillar that supports the windshield. The dashboard and steering wheel are forced straight back into the car, effectively rendering the airbags useless. The driver’s side door is almost completely ripped from the side of the vehicle. The end result is a mangled heap of metal that looks downright deadly.
Check out the video below to see the startling difference between the two crash tests for yourself!
At 4N6XPRT Systems, we’ve spent more than 20 years developing powerful accident reconstruction software tools like 4N6XPRT StifCalcs to help law enforcement agencies, attorneys and insurance companies establish fault in car accidents. Give us call or contact us online to learn more about StifCalcs or any of the other products and services we offer today.