If I was in my car and I hit a wall at 35 mph, the car would come to a dead stop in 1/15 of a second. The front end would buckle. The windshield would crack. Anything not tied down - tightly - would go rocketing forward. But I would likely walk away without a scratch. Airbags would inflate from the steering wheel, seat, and over all four side windows. If there was a passenger (legally mandatory until I get a license in July), there would be a bag coming from the dashboard and passenger seat, too. They would also likely walk away without a scratch.
The most fortunate thing is, my car is very common. Lots of people drive 2008 Honda Accords and are in a car as safe as mine is.

Cars have come a long way in this test. See my next post for information about the success of the NHTSA crash test program from 1979 to 2010.