That's BS propaganda. What these crash tests fail to show is the intangibles of vehicle safety.
Modern cars basically nest you into a tiny cocoon. Visibility is crap, connectedness with the vehicle is crap, spatial awareness of your surroundings is crap, meanwhile distractions while driving are abound: bluetooth, radio, calls, trip computers, etc.
While the classic cares might not perform well in accident, I'd hazard a guess the likelihood of actually getting into an accident with one is significantly less.
Statistics disagree with you on that one pal. Lot less accidents nowadays than 20 years ago.
Do you have a source for that? I looked high and low. Number of deaths is everywhere. Number of accidents is nowhere.
For my counteh we have the stats and irs an average of 13000 dead a year from 1965-1980, then about 10000 dead per year all the way to the past 10 years of 5-4000 deads.
The downvote button is not for disagree.
I.... didn't downvote anyone...
I was talking to whoever downvoted you.
Visibility is crap
It's a little worse, but many models provide as-good visibility.
connectedness with the vehicle is crap
100% subjective
spatial awareness of your surroundings is crap
It's not any different given the same visibility and height. More importantly rear view cams, blind spot warnings, and radar are significantly improving situational awareness
distractions
Don't want them, don't use them. This isn't a problem with cars, it's a problem with drivers.
And with advanced driver assist devices like autobraking, lane departure warning, antilock brakes, and individual wheel traction control I would argue today's driver is less likely to get into an accident.
is a chart of registered vehicles since 1970.
is a chart of deaths by vehicle mile traveled.
Actual accident rates are impossible to find, which is really peculiar, but I would be really surprised if they're increasing.
One thing not considered here is the improvement in road design. Newly built and rebuilt roads tend to have better shoulders, better markings, and better fences and buffers.
It's a little worse, but many models provide as-good visibility.
Not true. Drive in a car from not that long ago (the 90's), and you'll be amazed at the 360° FOV you have. It's a night-and-day difference
100% subjective
As I said, intangibles of vehicle safety
It's not any different given the same visibility and height. More importantly rear view cams, blind spot warnings, and radar are significantly improving situational awareness
These are bandages to problems car makers have caused, but reliance on tech does not create spatial awareness.
Don't want them, don't use them. This isn't a problem with cars, it's a problem with drivers.
Depends. Some necessary systems are behind touchscreens or other convoluted systems. That wasn't the case in years past.
And with advanced driver assist devices like autobraking, lane departure warning, antilock brakes, and individual wheel traction control I would argue today's driver is less likely to get into an accident.
I'm not sure any of these except ABS and maybe traction control (only matters for performance vehicles) make much of a difference.
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