The explanation is most likely the safety features in your new car. Side and side curtain airbags. I dont know anything about the civics....or their ABS....no traction control.....they were probably more "stealable" than the new accords. People who drive accords tend not to go as crazy w/modding as Civics and Im willing to bet that the discrepancy between the accident rate for young and old Accord drivers is less than that for the Civics. In other words....young people w/Civics mod them, speed, crash em (not that this doesnt happen with other cars...just seems like Civics are more likely).