Crash safety of older Tacoma

This too. Just remember you are now responsible for the idiots texting while driving.

 

Check out this thread and I think you will feel a little better about driving a Tacoma. Post #8 story is close to your year Tacoma. Still as others have mentioned drive defensively out there.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/wrecked-tacomas.477935/

 

Pretty sure the included quote about 'passenger-side-airbag' refers to the dash airbag in front if the passenger seat, not side air bags as mentioned in your first sentence. I think side air bags started around 2009. I know my 2004 extracab Tacoma doesn't have side air bags, but does have one in the dash on the passenger side.

 

There are no crash tests that will represent exactly that you may experience some day, but safety standards keep improving, newer vehicles were designed to be more survivable than older vehicles. It's only been 15 years since large trucks have been considered passenger vehicles when it comes to roll over or side impact so your old f350 may be stunningly unsafe in some crashes against lighter newer vehicles. Even between two very similar vehicles, 2nd gen vs 3rd gen, the 3rd gen uses much stronger steel in the cab and while it may not make a difference in some crashes, it will also mean walking away vs ambulance ride in other crashes.

 

Yup, you may be right. I could have sworn my '01 had side bags, but maybe not. I know the '12 has them.

 

Crash standards are always improving. For example the IIHS started testing small overlap in 2012. It took a few years (development cycle) for vehicles to catch up. A lot of trucks and large SUVs did poorly until they were updated. Probably because the barrier is positioned outside of the frame rail, so there was nothing solid to absorb or deflect the impact.

https://www.iihs.org/ratings/about-our-tests

The new active safety systems (cameras, radar) are nice to save you from your own mistakes. I haven't had any really close calls (never had it brake for me), but I've had the Brake! alert go off a few times when I wasn't fully paying attention, when cars ahead of me stopped unexpectedly. I've had more "real" alarms than false alarms.

 

It's a crazy world out there, driving has become right in the public eye. People are stoned, drunk, texting, unlicensed, uninsured, no inspections, etc. Of course without getting in to the P discussion,, the release of criminals has enforcement of the above down to nothing. Protect yourself, no one else will!

If one has the means; typically newer vehicles have much more safety built in. The same reason you see people cry when the frame bends and the plastic piece of shit bumpers explode,,,, they are doing as designed, their number one consideration is to protect occupants, NOT to protect the vehicle.

 

To OP's initial post I broke my neck against the roof of my '94 Toyota 4WD pickup in a highway crash and safety is the main reason I drive the 3gen longer distances vs my 1gen or g35 that would go under a truck in a highway crash.

My '94 4x4 PU had the old style OEM Toyota grill guard and a steel front skid, so when I T-boned a small car going 50+ I went up and almost through her vehicle, pinning her in the small remaining space between the 2 side doors. I have no idea if she survived but I found her watch and one shoe on the stopped highway walking around in shock with a broken neck. She was pinned in the wreck and I have no idea if she survived. For the record she was an unlicensed driver with no insurance and was found 100% at fault. I think of what she looked like pinned in that little car (gruesome details omitted) every time I get in a small car, and that's why I got a 3gen.

 

Just checked my truck. All these years I assumed I had side airbags and even thought there was a little airbag tag on the side of my seats. Nope. Nothing. Window sticker confirms front airbags and "side door impact beams." Looking at my truck, I wonder if the access cab is less safe in a t-bone situation given the lack of a solid beam between the front and rear compartments? Maybe that's where the side door impact beams come into play.

 

Damn, that's quite a story.

 

At least with my Tacoma I have 6 feet of crush space should i be rear ended. The smart cars scare the shit out of me. There is no distance at all. You could count the bugs in your rear view mirror on the license plate of the Semi Trailer driving behind you.

 

The smart car is marketed as being really safe too. But with no mass the passengers get more acceleration and thus applied external forces.

 

“getting trapped under a gas truck! That's the worst!” -Lloyd Christmas

 

Access cabs are inherently weaker than vehicles with a shorter stretch between pillars
Some companies, like Toyota, do a good job of designing it so it’s still safe. Others, like superduty access cabs, have had many fatalities from rollovers when the roof buckled

if you want better safety, a 2024 Tacoma would give you that. A crew cab 2009+ Tacoma is safer than yours too

 

These resonate with me..not myself, but my wife. She was in an accident end of 22 and due to injuries could not drive for about 8 months. She had the willingness to do so but knew she shouldn't and refrained until medically cleared.

Not sure if she has PTSD (she's a mental health professional so not sure I should ask her to self diagnose), but I can see looking back she was more wary even with me driving the truck or her SUV.

Much love and respect to you both.

 

Not sure how to compare your 2007 to a newer Tacoma or different vehicle but remember in general that technology has made things much safer in terms of ability to protect the occupant.

My mom had a 1981 Ford Escort wagon that we got in an accident with..she never liked the car anyway. Her next vehicle was a full size Chevy Malibu wagon even though it was more than needed..just wanted the protection. That was true back 40 yrs ago that bigger was better but remember too that besides the airbags we're talking about, there's much more. Crumple zones are a huge thing. It's why it seems like i hear about more vehicles getting totalled that don't "look" that bad at first, but the vehicle takes the beating.

My wife's rear bumper got pushed in a bit but not horribly (2014 Rav4). No airbag deployment. Had a major concussion though.

 

And Chevy said my Corvette was safe too.

 

Crash safety is surely one of the reasons they eliminated the rear doors on the 4th gen Xtra cab.

 

There's actually data on this stuff. According to IIHS, your 2007 access cab 4x4 has a fatality rate of 26 deaths per million. What year is your brother's GMC? For 2015-2017, the fatality rate is 22 deaths per million, for example. So you'd be 15% less likely to die switching to a newer GMC 2500HD. Not a big difference, because both a Tacoma and a Sierra 2500HD are small compared to the 18-wheelers and dump trucks running on our highways.

If you want to be safe against 18-wheelers, you'll need to upsize to something like an International MXT:

 

I was looking at this data earlier yesterday, but didn't get a chance to compare specific vehicles. My brother's truck is probably a 2020-22, but I imagine the data is similar. As others have pointed out, there are so many factors involved beyond what I'm driving. There's no doubt newer vehicles are safer. Vehicle safety has never been a huge factor in my decision making until recently. The last vehicle I bought was an older Miata.