Smart car receives top crash scores
WASHINGTON (AP) - May 14, 2008 The micro car, the smallest car for sale in the U.S. market,
offers a good level of safety, according to new crash tests
conducted by the insurance industry.
The 8-foot, 8-inch vehicle received the highest rating of good
in front-end and side-impact testing by the Insurance Institute for
Highway Safety, helping address some concerns that consumers may be
more vulnerable in the tiny two-seater.
The tests, released Wednesday, show how well vehicles stack up
against others of similar size and weight. The institute noted that
the front-end test scores can't be compared across weight classes,
meaning a small car that earns a good rating isn't considered safer
than a large car that did not earn the highest rating.
Adrian Lund, the institute's president, said a small car may be
more practical in congested urban areas where serious, high-speed
crashes are less likely. The institute conducted the crash test to
help guide consumers who want a small car that can give them good
protection.
"All things being equal in safety, bigger and heavier is always
better. But among the smallest cars, the engineers of the Smart did
their homework and designed a high level of safety into a very
small package," Lund said.
The institute's frontal crash test simulates a 40 mile per hour
crash with a similar vehicle. The side crash simulates what would
happen if the vehicle was struck in the side by a sport utility
vehicle at 31 mph.
In a test that assessed the vehicle's protection in rear
crashes, the fortwo received the second-highest rating of
acceptable.
Smart, a division of Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz brand, has
arrived in U.S. showrooms this year as consumers deal with rising
fuel prices. The automaker has received more than 30,000
reservations for the vehicle - which has a base price of more than
$12,000 with destination charges included and more than $17,000 for
a fully loaded Smart passion convertible. Customers are putting
down $99 to reserve a car.
The vehicle, which had sold 6,159 units through the end of
April, gets 33 miles per gallon in the city and 41 mpg on the
highway. The fortwo is more than 3 feet shorter and nearly 700
pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper.
In earlier crash tests conducted by the government, Smart
received the top score of five stars in side testing but the driver
door unlatched during the test and opened. While it did not affect
the vehicle's test score, government regulators said the incident
required them to note a safety concern for the vehicle which will
appear on window stickers at dealerships.
The concern was warranted because the unlatching of the door
could increase the likelihood of a driver or passenger being
ejected from the vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration said.
When the IIHS conducted its side test, the driver door also
became unlatched. But the institute said the injury measurements on
the test dummy were low and the opening didn't affect the dummy's
movement.
The 1,800-pound car has a steel safety cage and four standard
air bags, including two in front and two on the sides to protect
the head and abdomen. It also has standard electronic stability
control, which is designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the
road.
"America has never seen a car this size before and their first
question usually isn't about (fuel) economy, it's about safety,"
said Dave Schembri, president of Smart USA. "And that's why we
think these results are so very important."
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On the Net:
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: http://www.iihs.org
Smart USA: http://www.smartusa.com