Here’s a recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash test of the 2008 Smart Fortwo. This is the smallest car that is currently sold in the US market. Would you want to be in one of these during an auto accident? I know I wouldn’t!
7 Responses to “2008 Smart Fortwo Crash Test”
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Going to crash sites regularly(I’m a paramedic) I don’t care what the test says, big always wins against little, and I’m glad the commentator mentioned something to that effect. It would be interesting to see a test of a head-on collision with a 4×4 pickup truck or an SUV. It wouldn’t be pretty.
Medic
Hi Medic,
It’s obvious from the video that the occupants of the Smart Fortwo would injured not only from the impact but from the forces of bouncing and spinning around post-impact, possibly rebounded into other vehicles.
On top of that, it doesn’t get that much better gas mileage than larger, safer, vehicles.
yes, it is obvious:) From the spinning as you mentioned to the paint on the airbags from their heads. As far as the tests being “good”, I was referring to the test ratings they were given despite the fact it really wasn’t all that good.
BTW, cool site.
Medic
Would it not be great if you could see safety crash tests done using similar yet more fun condistions, other than the normal run into a wall scenario? Also it should provide more educational insight to see the impact in slow motion between a microcar and a truck.
A cute but unsafe car. This is not a win-win thing solution..
I wish it wasn’t so, but Gout is right. Bigger always wins, regardless of Smart’s reinforced body and various safety protocols. There’s a video out there of a Smart Car vs Mercedes S-XXX. The Smart Car literally BOUNCES off of it and rolls over a few times after hitting it. Sure the ’shell’ stayed in tact but it was a painful thing to see that it simply ‘rolled’ over like a toy. I’m not sure what could be done besides making the Smart Car bigger and heavier.
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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.