10/14/2026
A 20-year-old Volvo just beat 10 brand-new cars in a safety test, and honestly, it's not even close.
The magazine is Vi Bilägare, one of Sweden's biggest car publications, and this wasn't the first time they ran this test.
In 2022 they did the same thing with 11 new cars against the same kind of 2005 Volvo V70. The old Volvo won that time too, finishing all four tasks in 10 seconds flat.
The concerning part: on average, new cars did worse this time. Drivers needed about 756 meters to finish the tasks in 2022. This year it was 813.
So what about here in the U.S.? The NHTSA does have guidelines saying a driver shouldn't have to look away from the road for more than 2 seconds at a time, or 12 seconds total, to complete a task. But those guidelines are voluntary, so carmakers don't have to follow them.
A AAA Foundation study with the University of Utah found that entering a destination on a car's built-in system took drivers an average of 40 seconds. AAA also says taking your eyes off the road for just 2 seconds doubles your crash risk.
Europe now takes points off a car's safety rating if basic controls like turn signals, wipers and hazard lights aren't physical buttons. The U.S. has nothing like that.
Touchscreens are cheaper to build than a dashboard full of buttons. Should the U.S. step in and make carmakers put safety ahead of cost? Yes or no?
