Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom-417
With all the talk about towing and being able to stop safely and survive a crash, I was reminded of this video from awhile back. The insurance companies tested a 1959 Bel Air vs a 2009 Malibu. I remembered those old cars of my misspent youth as being tanks and really thought we were making a mistake trading fuel mileage for structural safety. I never expected the results of this head on crash test.
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Wow!
That impact is almost exactly the same as I experienced in 1963 while driving my 1957 Ford Fairlane 500. The other car was a brand new Chrysler station wagon driven by a kid who had had his driver's license for one week.
In those days, Chevrolet was built on an X frame that was much more flexible than the ladder frame used by Ford. My 57 Ford did not deform anything near what that 59 Chevy did. The kid in that Chrysler (about 5000 lbs!) hit me so hard that it both stopped my car and threw it backwards!
Modern trucks are built on ladder frames, just like my old 57 was.
There is no doubt that, pound for pound, modern cars are much, much safer than those old "tanks" from the 50's and 60's. This is due to "crush zones" that redirect the forces around the passenger compartments, good seat belts, and air bags all over the place.
But notice I said, "pound for pound". Don't think a 5 star safety rating on a sub-compact indicates the same level of protection as a 5 star rating on a Suburban. It doesn't.
BTW, I use 60 mph as a maximum speed everywhere I tow my trailer. Much of the time I am traveling at 55-57 mph. I do this for safety, economy, and common sense. Why push it? I want to enjoy travelling, not be all tense.
Ever see one of those toy haulers with 3 axles fly by you at 75 80 mph rocking back and forth? SCARY.
Tom