&gt; Really, what has changed about cars, besides automatic breaking?<p>Great question.<p>- Electronic stability control (ESC) (required from 2009).<p>- Anti-lock braking system (ABS) (in most cars from 2004 due to EU regs, although not required in the US until 2011).<p>- From 2003 the IIHS started rating vehicles for: rollover risk, side impact, and frontal offset impact. So car manufacturers started improving their designs to score better in these tests. The whole &quot;top safety pick&quot; thing is an IIHS rating.<p>- From 2009 the NHTSA required a greater roof-crush load (3x the vehicle&#x27;s weight, from 1.5x).<p>- Safety Cell improvements: Crumple zones are less likely to trap in the driver or front passenger&#x27;s legs&#x2F;feet during impact.<p>- Anti-intrusion bars: Are more standard. The IIHS tests kind of pushed them into mainstream.<p>- Additional air bags (side impact).<p>- Whiplash reduction seats and headrests.<p>Overall regulations aren&#x27;t why cars are safer in 2016, consumer demand is. People decided they didn&#x27;t want to compromise on safety, so as a safer and safer vehicles became available consumers flocked to them. Manufacturers had a financial interest in not only be safe but the absolute safest in the road, and that competition pushed vehicle safety forward.