2015 Corolla vs 1998 Corolla
2015 Corolla vs 1998 Corolla
ANCAP crash testing has been around for some time, but every now and then a picture tells more than a thousand words. When a new car crashes into an old car, what will the outcome be? At the crash lab in West Sydney, two Toyota Corollas went head-to-head just to see what would happen. The difference between the two Corollas was that one was a 2015 model and the other a 1998 version. My goodness, what a mess, what a noise and what a telling story!
Usually a crash test involves a standardised honeycomb barrier and a car being catapulted into the stationery barrier in an offset impact. What was carried out recently at the ANCAP testing centre was at one end a 1998 Toyota Corolla was linked to a 2015 Toyota Corolla at the other end. They travelled towards each other at 64 km/h in a simulated off-set head on position, and after the flying mess, noise and smell settled after impact, there was a hush, a complete silence. People were shocked at the way the 1998 Corolla deformed so easily, while the 2015 Corolla absorbed the impact but kept its shape and integrity well – particularly around the A-pillar zone.
Had there been a driver in each vehicle, the one in the older Corolla would have had serious injuries that would be life threatening. The driver of the newer Corolla would likely have walked away with minor injuries.
Safety standards in modern cars has improved so much over recent years with the addition of multiple airbags at the front of the car, curtain airbags down the side of the car, pre-tensioning seat belts, stronger safety cages for occupants, accident avoidance systems and building the cars with newer types of metals and steel that are stronger. The design that goes into the modern cars for redistributing the forces of the impact in a crash around the cabin to protect those inside is an ever evolving entity. These modern additions to new cars hugely improve the chances occupants have in a high impact crash – just like what these two Corolla cars were put through.
There are still numerous older vehicles on our roads; maybe it’s a good time to think about upgrading your car to one that has more safety credentials. Making safety a priority and buying the safest car that you can afford might be a good place to start.
You can see the crash test here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xidhx_f-ouU
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