IIHS crash test puts a 1996 Chevrolet Blazer against a 2026 Blazer in a head-on old car vs new car comparison that shows exactly how far vehicle safety has come in 30 years. To mark the 30th anniversary of its crash testing program, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety staged this head-to-head moderate overlap front crash test, and the result is one of the most dramatic old vs new car crash test demonstrations since the famous 1959 Bel Air versus 2009 Malibu video.
In this IIHS crash test, the 2026 Chevrolet Blazer's occupant compartment stayed intact, and nearly every injury measurement on the driver dummy pointed to minimal injury risk. The driver would likely have walked away with little more than bumps and bruises. The 1996 Chevrolet Blazer told a very different story: the impact crushed the cabin, drove the dashboard and steering column into the dummy, and the fully inflated airbag snapped the head back violently. A driver in the older Blazer would have faced serious, potentially fatal injuries.
This old vs new car crash test isn't just shocking footage. It explains why modern crumple zones, stronger occupant compartments, and better airbags matter, and why the myth that older cars were built like tanks simply doesn't hold up. The 1996 Blazer earned a poor rating in the original moderate overlap front test, while Blazers built after the model's 2019 return earn good ratings.
The bigger story behind this crash test comparison is the lives saved. IIHS research credits 30 years of crashworthiness improvements with saving nearly 50,000 lives, worth an estimated 500 billion dollars to society. From the moderate overlap front test to side crash and small overlap evaluations, this is car safety evolution in its clearest form.
Watch the full 1996 Chevrolet Blazer vs 2026 Blazer crash test, then tell us in the comments whether you used to believe old cars were safer. Like, dislike, subscribe, and hit the bell for more car safety and crash test videos.
These results are valid only for models sold in the USA
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✅ Source: IIHS
Original content at iihs.org or Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ7rCjQe2LSyl9uT7A9Zr4g
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#CrashTest #CarSafety #ChevroletBlazer
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