An interesting and graphic crash test between a new and an old Toyota Corolla is being used in a new road safety campaign in Australia aimed to shock motorists into updating their cars. An interesting concept, but the psychologists will say the viewer just switches off, as accidents happen to other people.
The head-on crash between a used 2015 Toyota Corolla and a much older 1998 model indicates the driver of the older car would likely not survive, even though the test was done at 64 km/h.
The first road safety advertisement of its type was created by the independent, not-for-profit, crash-test authority ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program).
This new road safety advertisement aims to address the commonly held opinion that older cars are stronger in a crash.
While not everyone can afford a brand-new car, the test shows the benefits of updating to more recent models that can be bought for half their new-car price.
The safety body deliberately chose a used 2015 Toyota Corolla as the modern car in the test because many of these are beginning to appear on the second-hand-car market.
“This is the first campaign of its kind, where the vehicle is profiled as being the lifesaving factor in a crash,” said ANCAP Chief Executive, James Goodwin.
“Many road safety campaigns have tended to focus on behavioral aspects such as speed, fatigue, drink driving and enforcement. They remain vital, however this campaign highlights the importance of choosing a safer vehicle.”
