Argument That ‘Old Steel Cars Were Better’ Gets Shut Down With Simple Physics

I think it’s fair to say that people everywhere are losing trust – trust in the media, in our partisan and corrupted politics, in scientists, experts and even in capitalism itself. According to the Edelman Corporation, which runs an annual ‘Trust Barometer‘ based on the views of people in 28 countries, only one in five feels that the current system is working for them, and the one thing that unites people worldwide is an urgent desire for change.

Something is not right! But while it can be tempting the throw the baby out with the bathwater and do something extreme (like electing dishonest and buffoonish leaders, for example), it is worth remembering that in many ways the system does work, and it has raised the living standards of billions around the world.

Argument That 'Old Steel Cars Were Better' Gets Shut Down With Simple Physics

Image credits: uzumaki2810

Take this story, posted on the subreddit r/MurderedByWords, for example.

After someone posted a photo of a modern car, crumpled and in pieces after having crashed into a sturdy, seemingly undamaged older model, one Tumblr user lamented the passing of good old American steel in modern car manufacturing. Apparently, fiberglass is to blame.

Argument That 'Old Steel Cars Were Better' Gets Shut Down With Simple Physics

Not to be outdone, this lactating left-winger went all the way and stated that the modern-day phenomenon of fragile, crumpling cars is just another symptom of the failure of capitalism. This is the logical conclusion to any problem these days, isn’t it?

Argument That 'Old Steel Cars Were Better' Gets Shut Down With Simple Physics

No.

Happily, someone with a better understanding of the issue entered the scene and put the misguided Marxist firmly in their place. Safety advancements in automobile technology have come along massively in recent years, and are getting better still thanks to research and investment.

Argument That 'Old Steel Cars Were Better' Gets Shut Down With Simple Physics

Post: busted. Experts like these are handy resources to have, aren’t they? Perhaps if we had more trust in experts and scientists in general, we would all be in a better place right now!

Argument That 'Old Steel Cars Were Better' Gets Shut Down With Simple Physics

What do you think? Has a good car safety design ever saved your life? Do you believe in the concept of planned obsolescence? Is capitalism to blame for everything? Let us know in the comments below!

Here’s how people reacted to the exchange

Argument That 'Old Steel Cars Were Better' Gets Shut Down With Simple Physics

As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

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James is a Bored Panda reporter who graduated with a BA in Peace And Conflict Studies and an MA in African Affairs. Before Bored Panda, he was an English teacher and also travelled a lot, doing odd jobs from beer-slinging to brickie's labourer and freelance journalism along the way. James loves covering stories about social and environmental issues and prefers to highlight the positive things that unite us, rather than petty internet squabbles about fictional characters. James is the grumpy, contradictory one who thinks that Bored Panda, due to its large audience, has a social responsibility to inspire and inform its readers with interesting issues and entertaining, well-researched stories. Let's do our bit to make our little corner of the internet a smarter, more truthful and less angry place!

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What do you think ?

POST

Uwe Theiss 5 years ago

I work since 15 years in car development. I worked for Daimler, Ford, BMW and Audi. This is one of the main aspects I also always advocate for. There is a reason why modern cars don't look so "cool" like old cars. We have modern safety regulations. Sharp edges will harm pedestrians. That's why they are illegal. We need space for airbags. That's why A-Pillars are much wider then at old cars. And we have areas that should deform to take the major force of an impact. That's why it looks sometimes like we build cardhouses. But it is working as intended. It cost a lot of lives to learn enough to build modern cars. Don't make this lives wasted and do also your part. Keep a modest speed, keep a modest distance to the car in front of you and use your seatbelt :)

44points

Samhhain Cat 5 years ago

Thanks for this. I often tell people that the reason not to speed isn't about how fast you can DRIVE, it's how fast you can STOP.

2points

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Andrew Wildman 5 years ago

I’m reminded of World War I. The British Army upgraded from cloth caps to metal helmets but saw more head injuries than before. They couldn’t figure out why until someone realized those extra injuries would have been deaths earlier.

28points

Brivid 5 years ago

Interesting, thanks for the post.

1point

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Heather Williams 5 years ago

Having been in an accident that pretty much took the front end off my car I can say that I am grateful to modern cars for their safety features. Car was a write off but I was not injured.

12points

Katie Smith 5 years ago

Me too. I've totalled two cars in my lifetime - the first time I was in a 1990 Chevy sports car. I'm very tiny so I was fine but could have been very injured. The second time I was in a 2004 Mitsubishi SUV. The front end basically imploded but I had not a bruise or a scratch on me.

0points

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Uwe Theiss 5 years ago

44points

Samhhain Cat 5 years ago

Thanks for this. I often tell people that the reason not to speed isn't about how fast you can DRIVE, it's how fast you can STOP.

2points

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Andrew Wildman 5 years ago

28points

Brivid 5 years ago

Interesting, thanks for the post.

1point

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Heather Williams 5 years ago

Having been in an accident that pretty much took the front end off my car I can say that I am grateful to modern cars for their safety features. Car was a write off but I was not injured.

12points

Katie Smith 5 years ago

0points

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Argument That ‘Old Steel Cars Were Better’ Gets Shut Down With Simple Physics

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