ARLINGTON, Virginia — Saying that engineers "designed a high level of safety into a very small package," insurance industry researchers on Wednesday gave high marks for safety to the Smart ForTwo.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said the Smart ForTwo earned the top rating of "good" for front and side crash protection. "Its seat/head restraints earned the second-highest rating of 'acceptable' for protection against whiplash in rear impacts," noted the organization in a statement.
However, the high marks came with a caveat. "You don't have to buy the smallest, lightest car to get one that's easy on fuel consumption," said Institute President Adrian Lund. "The Toyota Prius, for example, earns good front and side crash test ratings. It gets better fuel economy than a microcar, but it's bigger and weighs more, so we would expect it would be more protective in serious crashes."
Insurance industry researchers pointed out that the Smart ForTwo has a "lack of front-end crush space" and that the car's restraint system must do "more of the work of absorbing energy as occupants 'ride down' a crash."
It is important to note that, in federal test results made public in April and in the IIHS tests, the Smart ForTwo's driver-side door came unlatched during side-impact crashes. The institute said the "opening didn't appear to affect dummy movement during the test, and injury measures on the driver dummy were low. Still, doors shouldn't unlatch because in some crashes it could allow partial or complete occupant ejection, especially if an occupant is unbelted."
What this means to you: Despite the ForTwo's high safety marks, the insurance industry wants you to remember that the risk of death is still higher in crashes of smaller, lighter models. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said the Smart ForTwo earned the top rating of "good" for front and side crash protection. "Its seat/head restraints earned the second-highest rating of 'acceptable' for protection against whiplash in rear impacts," noted the organization in a statement.
However, the high marks came with a caveat. "You don't have to buy the smallest, lightest car to get one that's easy on fuel consumption," said Institute President Adrian Lund. "The Toyota Prius, for example, earns good front and side crash test ratings. It gets better fuel economy than a microcar, but it's bigger and weighs more, so we would expect it would be more protective in serious crashes."
Insurance industry researchers pointed out that the Smart ForTwo has a "lack of front-end crush space" and that the car's restraint system must do "more of the work of absorbing energy as occupants 'ride down' a crash."
It is important to note that, in federal test results made public in April and in the IIHS tests, the Smart ForTwo's driver-side door came unlatched during side-impact crashes. The institute said the "opening didn't appear to affect dummy movement during the test, and injury measures on the driver dummy were low. Still, doors shouldn't unlatch because in some crashes it could allow partial or complete occupant ejection, especially if an occupant is unbelted."
What this means to you: Despite the ForTwo's high safety marks, the insurance industry wants you to remember that the risk of death is still higher in crashes of smaller, lighter models. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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