To commemorate its 50th anniversary, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ( IIHS) has conducted a frontal offset crash test pitting a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu against a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air, a classic sedan with a 300-400-lb weight advantage. The explosive results illustrate how far crash-test protection has come since the non-profit organization began conducting safety evaluations and advocating for improvements.
The IIHS began with a mission to support academic and other organizations working in the field of highway safety. By the late 1960s, it had evolved into a scientific organization that used data analysis and its own tests to advocate for automotive improvements. Funded by the insurance industry, the IIHS has been able to balance efforts to cut insurance costs with reducing vehicle damage and passenger injuries.
Today, its extensive crash-testing program continues to challenge automakers to improve passenger protection with a more-demanding protocol than that used by the federal government. (Learn how the IIHS conducts its crash tests.) In addition, its data resources and analytical reports inform decision makers who have enacted life-saving measures.
As this video illustrates, automotive safety has improved dramatically in the past five decades. The 2009 Chevrolet Malibu has as standard equipment: antilock brakes, stability control, occupant-sensing front air bags, and side air bags. Beyond the safety gear, advancements in vehicle engineering give the Malibu a clear advantage in this match up. In IIHS front- and side-crash tests, it earns the highest rating of Good. Likewise, in National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests, it earns top marks. (In the government rollover test, it was rated better than average.) While classic cars are often considered to be rock solid, this '59 demonstrates how much better today's cars are. And the IIHS has played a key role in driving these advancements.
Build & Buy Car Buying Service
Get Ratings on the go and compare 
