Apples and oranges and crash tests and progress

1959 Chevrolet crash test

Is it just me, or am I seeing a steep increase in official disrespect for older vehicles lately? First, we had the cash for clunkers nightmare. Now we see this Insurance Institute for Highway Safety video crashing a 1959 Chevrolet up against a 2009 Chevrolet to illustrate “how far we’ve come.”

Actually, it’s difficult to discern the exact purpose of the video. On YouTube (via TTAC), it’s suggested the video was made to commemorate the IIHS’s 50th anniversary. On Good Morning America last week (via the H.A.M.B.), it was used to hype accident-avoidance technology. In either case, the point seems to be: old=bad; new=good.

We could point out, as others already have, that the ‘59 appears to lack a drivetrain and suffer from rust-induced weakening (maybe not – see links below and NYTimes update here), while the ‘09 appears entirely intact. We could also point out that in 1959, three-point seatbelts were hardly in use, ABS hadn’t yet been invented, and crash helmets were mere scraps of leather. It was a different and supplanted time.

Yes, safety is good. Yes, taking care of the environment is good. But don’t disrespect American motoring heritage by anachronistically comparing cars from two different eras and declaring that progress triumphs yet again. Progress has brought us bland cars that remove the driver from the driving and any semblance of excitement from the motoring experience, meanwhile farting rainbows and unicorns out our cars’ exhaust pipes. So if I need to compromise my safety and burn a couple more gallons of gasoline by driving an older car just so I can feel alive behind the wheel, then so be it.



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