August 31, 2010, 11:15 am
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2345256,00.asp
Smart Car Goes Airborne in Crash Test; Are They Safe?
By Jamie Lendino
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found in a new series of crash tests that drivers of 2009 versions of the Smart fortwo, Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris risk "significant leg and head injuries in severe front-end crashes" with larger, mid-size vehicles, according to the Associated Press.
Worse, the Smart fortwo actually went airborne and turned 450 degrees--more than one full rotation--after hitting the other car (a Mercedes C-Class, itself no giant) in the test. The tests consisted of 40 mph head-on crashes between the fortwo and a 2009 Mercedes C-Class, the Fit and a 2009 Toyota Camry--rare but possibly representative scenarios of real life crashes between two vehicles of different sizes.
"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, in the article.
Here's the problem: automakers are saying that the IIHS's tests in general rehashed past insurance industry arguments against tougher fuel efficiency requirements, according to the report. I always thought the IIHS's crash tests were important, since they go far beyond what the government requires and often lead to safer car designs. But I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say that everyone should drive large vehicles, especially considering that many have done poorly on IIHS tests.
I hope all you folks getting these guys have great insurance.
