IIHS crash-tested a 2026 Blazer against a 1996 one.
The new Blazer driver would sustain minimal injuries.
The older Blazer driver could have been fatally injured.
Despite what some armchair "experts" would have you believe, new cars are far safer than their older counterparts. To prove it, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) lined up a 2026 Chevrolet Blazer against its 1996 S10 counterpart from 30 years ago for a head-to-head moderate overlap crash test. The results speak for themselves.
The driver of the 2026 Blazer would have likely walked away from the crash with bumps and bruises, thanks to innovations like crumple zones, high-strength steel construction, reinforced side protection, and additional airbags. As for the 1996 Blazer driver, they would have sustained more serious or even fatal injuries.
