How Safe Is the Smart Car?
The Smart car is the smallest gasoline-powered, street-legal vehicle for sale in the United States. Receiving excellent crash test ratings and getting excellent fuel economy, the Smart Fortwo is a good choice for urban commuters. Urban driving and parking is easy because of the microcar's light weight and nimbleness.
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History
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Smart cars began selling in the United States in January 2008, available in three coupe and two convertible models, with seating for two. Powering the Smart Fortwo is a 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder engine.
Size
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The Smart car weighs 1,700 pounds and is just under 9 feet long. Although small, the vehicle received excellent crash ratings in 40 mph tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
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Safety Features
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The Smart car is equipped with active and passive safety features. These include anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, acceleration skid control and cornering brake control to help reduce the risk of accidents.
Concerns
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The Smart Fortwo's light weight and small size are safety concerns, should a crash occur with a larger passenger car, truck or sport utility vehicle (SUV). Injury and death rates are higher for smaller vehicles than for larger ones.
Warning
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The Smart car's excellent crash test rating doesn't mean it is safer than a larger vehicle that received a lower crash rating. Because the Smart Fortwo is lightweight, it would be less safe in a collision with such a vehicle.
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