Back in the days before car crash safety was regulated, manufacturers employed whatever techniques they deemed would be efficient in limiting the extent of the damage/injuries caused by an accident. First, there were collapsible steering racks and padded dashboards, which were followed by strengthening beams running through the car and finally airbags.
While in recent years, the likes of Volvo, Saab and even Renault came out on top in terms of car safety, Subaru wants us to know that they’ve been at it too, and have been conducting crash tests since 1965. They recently uploaded a video showing a few of their attempts at improving car safety, some of which seem useful, while others are just absurd.
For instance, the aforementioned collapsible steering rack is extremely useful, whereas the net which extends from the lower part of the front bumper to catch a pedestrian after you’ve hit him/her is useless. Still, the fact that they did put safety at the top of their concerns list, instead of being forced to by regulations is a plus point for Subaru’s brand image.
By Andrei Nedelea
VIDEO