Are old American cars safer than newer import cars?

Question

People say that you are safer in an old American car because it's heavier. However, I have also heard people refer to these cars as "death traps." So which is it?

Answer 1

The newer vehicle are much better and safer than any older vehicle...

Answer 2

No, emphatically not.  Not in the least.

Weight does not inherently make a car safe.  What is done with that weight is what matters.

Most old (pre 1970s) American cars were body-on-frame.  The rigid frame rails, and in some cases very solid, heavy bodywork, of these cars doesn't deform very much in an accident.  That deformation in a modern car absorbs crash energy.  In a more rigid car, that energy can be more readily transferred to the occupants of the car.  This means you're more likely to die from internal injuries, things like your aorta getting ripped open and the like, even if you don't get crushed by the impact.  

And when you're talking about unibody cars...the ones where the actual bodywork and floor pan of the car are structural members, well, the design and materials that go into those cars has VASTLY improved in the last 2 decades.  

Also, many older American cars weren't very heavy.  An original Mustang weighs, IIRC, less than a modern Honda Civic.  (However, that is a monocoque/unibody car)   Actually, cars in general have been getting bigger and heavier over the last 2-3 decades.  A 2008 Civic is about the same size as a 1992 Accord.  Sure, there were some real land barges, but as a general rule, cars now are heavier than cars 25-30 years ago were, and even a lot of cars 40-50 years ago.  This is particularly true of "small" cars.

Oh, and another thing...lighter cars are more maneuverable, all else being equal, and better able to AVOID accidents altogether.  Combine this with modern suspensions which further improve handling, and modern safety equipment, and a Honda Civic is a MUCH safer car than say, an old Chevy Impala

Oh, and while weight may provide SOME advantage in a car-vs-car accident (in that the larger car accelerates less), the way the cars HANDLE that acceleration is just as important, AND an extra ton of mass doesn't do a d**n thing for you if you hit a tree or an overpass or something.

Yes, old cars are, mostly, death traps.  (But if you're just driving it on the weekends, it isn't a big deal. )