IIHS crash test shows 2026 Chevy Blazer far safer than 1996 model

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a crash-test video June 24, 2026, showing a 2026 Chevy Blazer absorbing a head-on hit that left the driver space intact while a 1996 Blazer collapsed around the dummy. The demonstration marked the 30th anniversary of the institute’s crash testing program and used a special head-to-head version of its moderate overlap front test.

In the newer Blazer, all but one injury measurement showed minimal risk, and the only area with a slightly elevated but still acceptable reading was the right foot or lower leg. The driver in that vehicle likely would have walked away with bumps and bruises. The 1996 model told the opposite story: its occupant compartment was crushed, the dashboard and steering column were driven into the dummy’s lap, and the fully inflated airbag struck the chin hard enough to snap the head back toward the window. The dummy’s upper neck joint broke and the head detached, indicating serious, potentially fatal injuries.

The original moderate overlap evaluation of the 1996 Blazer was rated poor, a result that covered Blazer models built from 1995 through 2004. By comparison, the reintroduced Blazer, which returned in the 2019 model year, earns a good driver-side small overlap rating. Its passenger-side small overlap score for the 2026 model is based on a 2020 Chevrolet Blazer test conducted by General Motors.

Chief operating officer Joe Nolan credits the ratings program with driving many of the key vehicle safety improvements of the past 30 years. The institute’s crashworthiness tests have saved nearly 50,000 lives since 1995 and more than $500 billion in societal costs. IIHS, an independent nonprofit supported by member insurance companies, also rates crash avoidance and mitigation technology. Its last head-to-head showcase paired a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air with a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu.