Here's How Shockingly Far Car Crash Safety Has Come In 20 Years

This video shows a direct comparison between the impact safety of the latest Honda Jazz versus a Rover 100 from 1997, and the difference is astonishing

Matt Kimberley

02 Feb 2017

This is the sort of video that stops you buying a budget banger. Euro NCAP has been testing cars’ crash impact safety for 20 years, and to mark the milestone has released this footage comparing one of its original tests to one of its latest.

Taking two small cars; 1997’s Rover 100 and today’s Honda Jazz, the direct comparison via split-screen footage is a serious reminder of why buying the newest car you can afford is always a safer idea. Unless it’s a Mustang, it seems.

Watch the video and make your own mind up. Let us know whether this film gets you in the feels, or whether you’re just too much of a maverick to care.

Comments

Airbag in Rover be like “Can’t touch this”

Why is a Rover 100 a comparison to a Honda Jazz?

1992: Mid range sedans hit a tough wall not deformable barrier… some do it well some go bad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaiMUM0XVZk

….well not when you’re in the new Mustang

Well in 1997 the 5 Star cars were not so different from modern cars though. I feel pretty safe in my nearly 19 year old BMW. Overlap crash tests were done back then already, 6 airbags, abs, Asc (a bit like ESP for those who dont know it) and 1,6t of weight making it pretty safe. Same braking distance as a modern 5Series Bmw btw. Drawbacks to modern cars: Less electronic stability stuff, slightly worse frontal crash driver leg protection. Advantages to modern cars: better visibility, the headlights don’t completely blind oncoming traffic like most modern cars do.