Small cars get poor marks in collision tests

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

WASHINGTON – Micro cars can give motorists top-notch fuel efficiency at a competitive price, but the insurance industry says they don't fare too well in collisions with larger vehicles.

In crash tests released Tuesday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that drivers of 2009 versions of the Smart "fortwo," Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris could face significant leg and head injuries in severe front-end crashes with larger, mid-size vehicles.

"There are good reasons people buy mini cars. They're more affordable, and they use less gas. But the safety trade-offs are clear from our new tests," said Adrian Lund, the institute's president.

...

The tests involved head-on crashes between the fortwo and a 2009 Mercedes C Class, the Fit and a 2009 Honda Accord and the Yaris and the 2009 Toyota Camry. The tests were conducted at 40 miles per hour, representing a severe crash.

In the fortwo collision, the institute said the Smart, which weighs 1,808 lbs, went airborne and turned around 450 degrees after striking the C Class, which weighs nearly twice as much. There was extensive damage to the fortwo's interior and the Smart driver could have faced extensive injuries to the head and legs. There was little damage to the front seat area of the C Class.

...

In the Fit's test, the dummy's head struck the steering wheel through the air bag and showed a high risk of leg injuries. In the vehicle-to-vehicle test, the Fit was rated poor while the Accord's structure held up well.

...

In the Yaris test, the institute said the mini car sustained damage to the door and front passenger area. The driver dummy showed signs of head injuries, a deep gash on the right knee and extensive forces to the neck and right leg.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090414/ap_on_...ash_tests/print

[amberdima 6]

duh....what a gamble....driving a smart car on a highway next to some escalade. somebody's getting crushed, and it's not the gas hog.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

duh....what a gamble....driving a smart car on a highway next to some escalade. somebody's getting crushed, and it's not the gas hog.

I have a friend who commutes in a Smartcar up the parkway every day. Dumbazz is gonna die out there.

[amberdima 6]

duh....what a gamble....driving a smart car on a highway next to some escalade. somebody's getting crushed, and it's not the gas hog.

I have a friend who commutes in a Smartcar up the parkway every day. Dumbazz is gonna die out there.

yes...they are a great idea- and of course, in europe, all there are are miniature vehicles, so it works out great. there will have to be some major changes made in the USA before the smart car becomes any more than, 'i'm going to save the world, one tiny car at a time.'

p.s. i am against little housewives who drive around giant suburbans. doesn't mean you can change the norm. production of these large, gas guzzlers will have to cease completely. then, we will have to wait another 15+ years for them all to die off before smart cars can replace them.

Edited April 14, 2009 by amberdima

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

p.s. i am against little housewives who drive around giant suburbans. doesn't mean you can change the norm.

Sometimes I'll take a late lunch (i.e. after the regular work crowd is back to work) around 3pm and go to the Starbucks near work.. and the crowd is all young milfs with giant SUVs with the occasional Mercedes thrown into the mix...

[mawilson 2,133]

Small cars get poor marks in collision tests

Breaking news from the Department of the Bleeding Obvious?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The Yaris is not a good car from Toyota, which is rare. However, the Corolla, which get 35mpg on the highway has had a stellar record for safety. The Yaris was marketed as a cheap car. When it comes to small cars that have good safety records, the Mini-Cooper and Volkswagon Beetle are on the top of that list. So this report is a bit deceiving...by implying that you can't have a safe car that is also smaller and more fuel efficient. On the flip side of it - a bigger car does not equate to safer car. In fact, many SUV's have had terrible crash test ratings, which didn't seem to stop people from buying them.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Small cars get poor marks in collision tests

Breaking news from the Department of the Bleeding Obvious?

Excellent point Mark.

Known even in 1989 in India, where passengers in one of the then-newest model (Maruti 800, clone of Suzuki Alto) rarely survived a collision between their vehicle and Traveller Van (similar to Ford Econoline in size), let alone a 27-tonne*** lorry--the Maruti would literally get sucked under the heavy--while those travelling in an old Ambassador (clone of 1955 Morris Oxford) would usually survive (though the car would be a writeoff) from a collision with the aforementioned lorry (in collision with Traveller, both vehicles would probably be driven away).

***legally, 16.2 tonne GVW...but rarely in India are lorries driven without gross overloads.

Edited April 14, 2009 by CherryXS

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the 2009 MINI Cooper four out of five stars for front impact tests, five stars for the driver's protection in side crashes,s and four stars for the rear passengers' protection in side impact crashes. The MINI Cooper also earns a five-star rollover rating. The Cooper Convertible was not crash tested, but also received a five-star rollover rating.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the 2009 Cooper a "Good" rating in frontal offset tests and an "Acceptable" rating in side impact tests.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-..._Cooper/Safety/

[one...two...tree 2,762]

SUV Models Receive Poor Ratings in Side-Impact Tests

Several SUV models received poor safety ratings Tuesday when a private organization released findings from its first-ever side-impact crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research and communications group, issued "poor" ratings to a number of models--the Honda Element, the Toyota RAV4, the Saturn VUE, the Suzuki Vitara, the Land Rover Freelander, the Chevrolet Tracker, the Mitsubishi Outlander and the Ford Escape. When tested using side airbags, the Escape received a "good" rating. The tests, which recreated a side-impact crash at 31 mph, studied the extent of injuries sustained by dummies in the driver's seat and left rear seat as well as the vehicle's overall susceptibility to major damage. While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducts similar side-impact tests, the Institute's crash tests used barriers higher off the ground, simulating a collision with a truck or other full-size SUV.

http://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/s...?googleid=27894

[Nagishkaw 510]

Small cars get poor marks in collision tests

Breaking news from the Department of the Bleeding Obvious?

[amberdima 6]

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives the 2009 MINI Cooper four out of five stars for front impact tests, five stars for the driver's protection in side crashes,s and four stars for the rear passengers' protection in side impact crashes. The MINI Cooper also earns a five-star rollover rating. The Cooper Convertible was not crash tested, but also received a five-star rollover rating.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives the 2009 Cooper a "Good" rating in frontal offset tests and an "Acceptable" rating in side impact tests.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-..._Cooper/Safety/

i think the main focus is the safety of the 'smart car.' this thing weighs 800 lbs less and is many cubic inches smaller than the mini cooper, yaris, etc.

http://autos.aol.com/cars-compare?cur_page...5=USB90TOC191A0

[Amby 490]

this is news? i thought it was pretty obvious.

Edited April 14, 2009 by Amby

[Saddle Bronc 124]

this is news? i thought it was pretty obvious.

To some publications (the badly-misnamed USA Today--which the article was not from--being the most obvious one), it is***.

***In the case of USA Today, I saw this even in 1991 when they printed some article about aspirin and BP, which I had seen (a year) earlier in Asiaweek--for which I sent them a riposte that they should rename themselves as yesteryear.

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

There goes my plan to buy a Smart

Scary video I say