How much safer is a new car today, than say 12 years ago?

Question

Have there been specific govt. regulations over the past 12 years so that any new car today is safer than a 12 year old car?

Answer 1

Way safer. take a look at the statistics at NHTSA.gov. We have had a stady decline in fatalities for the last ten years and a decline in the number of accidents overall for the last 7 years. In my opinion we (citizens of the US) need to work on our driving skills to improve these numbers even more. Technology can only do so much. Since I became a commercial driver 9 years ago i have had a real fixation with safety. One of the ongoing problems I see every day is the lack of driving skills displayed every day by all drivers. According to the statistics I have seen: drivers that have driven for more than 3 years are usualy more likely to be in an accident than drivers of less than one year. after the first year is when driver complacency sets in and they start taking shortcuts, where before the younger drivers tend to concentrate more on thier individual skills. Just keep in mind that young drivers from 16 to 24 have the highest overall accident rate.

Answer 2

I can recall a few items:

1. Air-bags were made mandatory. I think drivers side initially and or passenger side, too, later.

2. Seat belts in school buses.

3. Summer blend gasoline to reduce emissions.

4. Motor oil re-enginnering to accomodate (pass) emission standards.

5. Miles per gallon pressure has increased engine efficiency and has "caused" many new engineering changes.

6. There is no asbestos in brake pads or brake shoes, now. (Think of the millions of tons of asbestos that ended up on the roads from cars and trucks for almost 100 years.)

7. No more R-12 freon in the A/C on cars and trucks. They use the environmentally friendly R-134, now.

Most of the innovations in recent years is pressure to please the customer. When we all drove those "big tanks" around in the 50's through the 70's we had a lot of steel wrapped around us and didn't think too much about safety. Most of the good things that are on a modern car has probably come from proven racing technology.
If it's lighter, faster, super duty, and reliable it will eventually make it's way to the family car.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

1. I don't believe this story 2. What type of parents allow a 12 year old to steal their car? 3. What type of parents would not notice your sister's pregnant stomach? 4. I don't understand the moving to LA sentence. But it sounds like your sister is going to become a homeless person if she tries to move to LA at her age thinking she can be the next big thing. I live in LA and I see these runaway teenagers all the time. 5. In the case that this story is true, call the police. I doubt that she has more firepower than they do.

Answer 4

12 yrs ago they were made of metal now they are made of plastic. so it depends on how you define safe.

Answer 5

a lot