Your ancient skadonk was 'built like a tank', but here's why it's not safer than a modern car

The power of modern crumple zones is often underestimated.

“They don’t make them like they used to” is a common saying, which may be true more often than not in the case of many products, but certainly not when it comes to vehicle safety.

“But modern cars crumple like paper,” I hear you say. “My [insert name of 1970s fortress on wheels] holds steady in an accident because it’s built like a tank.”

But strong body panels and safety don’t always go hand in hand – it’s the way the vehicle crumples around you that really makes the difference.

A car that crumples in the right way, in the right places, is doing exactly what it was designed to do, says MasterDrive CEO Eugene Herbert. This is because modern vehicles are built with dedicated crumple zones that are engineered to deform and absorb kinetic energy during a crash, effectively slowing the deceleration experienced by occupants.