Nobody really apposed japan as much as we did when we got involved. Japan was kicking ass even after we got involved.
Japan was an extremely potent military power and it spent its resources invading small, defenseless island nations in a region crushed by economic recession. The only reason Japan was as powerful as it was, was because of an extremely healthy economic relationship with the USA. Once we declared war and stopped trading with them, they were forgeted. Pearl Harbor was meant to scare the USA into continuing trade with Japan and not enter the war, it totally backfired obviously.
Something tells me that if every other person wasn't driving trucks, an ordinary car would be just fine as far as safety goes.
Except there are other things you can hit besides cars you know.