Modern cars run wider tires and have better brakes, also ESP works some serious magic. Stopping distance is actually better than it used to be for most vehicles. Also suspension setups are more advanced, meaning tires are actually touching ground more of the time. This makes cornering better.
Then add airbags (not really a thing in a lot of late 80s and early 90s cars), real crumple zones, etc.
Barring stupid ass American trucks with zero visibility, vehicles have gotten safer over time. It’s slowed down now, but still getting slightly better with driver assistance features, like blind spot detection, etc.
In urban environments an old 1980s car is fine, you can’t really get into a high speed collision in a city.
Highway driving is statistically safer, so you can get away with a 1980s car on a highway.
Rural driving is o.k.-ish, if you are away of your surroundings on a rural road.
It’s the sub-urban, specifically, the ex-urban environment in N.America that posses the most problems for driving an older 1980s car with limited safety features. People really speed on the wide, 6 to 8 lane, suburban streets.
Highway driving is actually where things like ESP and airbags matter most IMO. ESP can save your ass on unexpected black ice in a curve and airbags can save your ass when some oncoming assface decides to fall asleep and drift into your lane. Most highways in my country are not separated, so that’s pretty dangerous.
Modern cars run wider tires and have better brakes, also ESP works some serious magic. Stopping distance is actually better than it used to be for most vehicles. Also suspension setups are more advanced, meaning tires are actually touching ground more of the time. This makes cornering better.
Then add airbags (not really a thing in a lot of late 80s and early 90s cars), real crumple zones, etc.
Barring stupid ass American trucks with zero visibility, vehicles have gotten safer over time. It’s slowed down now, but still getting slightly better with driver assistance features, like blind spot detection, etc.
In urban environments an old 1980s car is fine, you can’t really get into a high speed collision in a city.
Highway driving is statistically safer, so you can get away with a 1980s car on a highway.
Rural driving is o.k.-ish, if you are away of your surroundings on a rural road.
It’s the sub-urban, specifically, the ex-urban environment in N.America that posses the most problems for driving an older 1980s car with limited safety features. People really speed on the wide, 6 to 8 lane, suburban streets.
Highway driving is actually where things like ESP and airbags matter most IMO. ESP can save your ass on unexpected black ice in a curve and airbags can save your ass when some oncoming assface decides to fall asleep and drift into your lane. Most highways in my country are not separated, so that’s pretty dangerous.