--- title: "This ’80s VW Crash Safety Video Is Unsettlingly Dark and Creepy" date: "2024-09-27" modified: "2024-09-27" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-80s-vw-crash-safety-video-is-unsettlingly-dark-and-creepy" categories: - "Culture" - "History" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Volkswagen News" tags: - "Volkswagen" --- # This ’80s VW Crash Safety Video Is Unsettlingly Dark and Creepy ![]() *Classic Car Hunter UK* Crash testing cars is an inherently morbid thing. You're trying to determine the likelihood someone will experience a life-threatening injury in your product. Making a video describing how your vehicles hold up in a collision, then, should feel like a somber affair. All that said, [Volkswagen]() absolutely did not have to go this hard in this safety research film from the 1980s. This 1984 video begins like a Danish crime drama, with gloomy shots of bustling traffic, panning shots of cars going by, and dark point-of-view footage from inside cars, accompanied by emergency sirens and a creepy synth score befitting a Halloween flick. Then it gets into the facts: In Europe at the time, there was a crash of some sort every second. Sounds ominous, right? If it's happening every second, surely you're next! And if you're going to be next, you'll want to be in a Volkswagen, according to the very intelligent-sounding gentleman speaking. ![]() **Classic Car Hunter UK** Volkswagen used this video to prove the safety of its vehicles, specifically its [commercial vans]() and the [VW Bus](), which featured cabover designs and no airbags. That seems like a deathtrap by today's standards but, in the 1980s, it was actually pretty normal. And Volkswagen set out to prove that its cabover design was no more dangerous than a more conventional one, with an engine compartment ahead of the driver. The video takes viewers through various measures Volkswagen incorporated to protect front passengers, from the van's front impact struts to the deformation bar attached to them, to all the vehicle's extra structural bracing. The bus even had a collapsable steering column, to lessen the chance of, you know, impalement. Of course, all of that probably doesn't instill much confidence compared to modern safety equipment, but 40 years ago, it was pretty advanced stuff. There was also a hefty focus on crash *prevention*, with VW stressing the importance of good brakes and a balanced chassis. The latter can help a vehicle maneuver away from a possible collision, even when loaded with cargo and passengers. This video is an interesting, albeit unsettling, look at how safety tests were conducted before airbags and standard anti-lock brakes. VW's vans were surprisingly safe for their time, but, viewed today, the film mostly highlights how far safety technology has come. It also demonstrates how modern marketing has gotten really good at not turning safety research videos into nightmare fuel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG8eyWRj_rM *Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()