Watch a new Chevy Blazer crush an old one in IIHS crash test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has just released a stark head-to-head crash-test video pitting a 2026 Chevrolet Blazer against a 1996 Chevrolet S10 Blazer in a moderate-overlap frontal collision. The results underline how far vehicle safety has come in three decades. In the test, the dummy representing the 2026 Blazer driver would have walked away with little more than bumps and bruises, thanks to modern crumple zones, high-strength steel construction, reinforced side protection and extra airbags. By contrast, the 1996 S10’s passenger compartment collapsed: the A-pillar and roof bent inward, the dashboard and steering column intruded into the dummy’s lap, and the fully inflated airbag struck the dummy’s chin, snapping its neck back. The IIHS says a human driver would almost certainly have suffered head, neck and leg injuries, and possibly fatal trauma. The 2026 Blazer’s dummy showed only a small risk of right-foot or lower-leg injury. The institute also highlighted its broader impact: nearly 50,000 lives saved and roughly $500 billion in societal economic benefits over 30 years of crash-testing. It is now pushing for safety ratings on heavy-duty trucks, citing 6,535 fatalities in crashes involving HD/medium-duty trucks and light vans in 2023. The footage is a blunt reminder that newer cars are far safer than their older counterparts.