Small cars perform badly in latest crash testing

[skyrover]

The IIHS's new small overlap crash test is probably the toughest test around, highlighting what happens when a vehicle strikes a car or object with only a small part of it's frontal section. (Incidentally this is also the most common type of accident you are likely to be involved in)

http://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/minicars...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bdydHzCO5s

The Fiat 500 and Honda Jazz perform very poorly.

They argue that you are better off in a larger hybrid car which gets similar fuel economy but also offers better crash protection.

Thoughts?

[leefee]

That seems to try and link safety with economy. What has hybrid got to do with it?

[crosseyedlion]

I'd agree in general.

The problem with the NCAP scores manufacturers boast about is that they are scored relative to other cars their size. So a 5 star supermini isn't likely to be safer than a 3 star limo.

The 2010 clio ive just bought is a 5 star car, but i'm sure id fare better in an accident in my old e38 7 series.

Telling people to buy hybrids for safety is daft, they should just tell people to get bigger cars and put into perspective of a couple of hundred pounds a year on fuel vs. losing your legs.

That said, I bought the clio for fun not safety and it is good to know it'd fare as well as possible for its size.

[skyrover]

leefee said:

That seems to try and link safety with economy. What has hybrid got to do with it?

Probably to argue that if you want fuel economy you are better of buying a larger hybrid than a sub-compact/fiesta sized vehicle and being safer as a result.

[Ennoch]

leefee said:

That seems to try and link safety with economy. What has hybrid got to do with it?

Exactly, because we all know that the sole reason we buy small cars is for economy, and not because there's no frikkin need for a large car if you're only ever in the city...

[crosseyedlion]

Ennoch said:

Exactly, because we all know that the sole reason we buy small cars is for economy, and not because there's no frikkin need for a large car if you're only ever in the city...

Why not? A large car does a lot of things well, not just motorways...

[k-ink]

The bigger and heavier your vehicle the safer you are. Which is why the sea of 4x4 trucks are such a danger to small eco boxes. Do you prefer to save fuel or survive a crash? Unless huge heavy trucks are banned there seems no point in risking yourself in a tiny car.

[sjg]

leefee said:

That seems to try and link safety with economy. What has hybrid got to do with it?

Americans tend to buy (or market) small cars for economy reasons, wheras in Europe we have smaller parking spaces, garages, and narrower lanes in cities so they make sense for other reasons (and usually the "economy" option for us a larger diesel car).

Interesting tests, although I suspect if manufacturers start designing for that test, we'll get even bigger A-pillars causing bigger blind spots.

[crosseyedlion]

Gaz. said:

I see where you're going with this, but is it really going to make much difference with a 10t bus or a 44t lorry if you have an extra 600kg in your corner?

...Yes. The more structure around you the greater ability to absorb energy, and more time for decelleration and hopefully acceleration in the direction the bus/truck is travelling.

[Cerberus90]

k-ink said:

The bigger and heavier your vehicle the safer you are. Which is why the sea of 4x4 trucks are such a danger to small eco boxes. Do you prefer to save fuel or survive a crash? Unless huge heavy trucks are banned there seems no point in risking yourself in a tiny car.

I've not been killed to death yet after driving a little box made from iron-oxide, paint and oil for 4 years,

[kambites]

k-ink said:

The bigger and heavier your vehicle the safer you are. Which is why the sea of 4x4 trucks are such a danger to small eco boxes. Do you prefer to save fuel or survive a crash? Unless huge heavy trucks are banned there seems no point in risking yourself in a tiny car.

Personally, I choose other factors which effect me every day over the tiny chance of ever having an accident in which it will make any difference.

[crosseyedlion]

kambites said:

Personally, I choose other factors which effect me every day over the tiny chance of ever having an accident in which it will make any difference.

Have you ever had a bad accident? (im not talking about sliding into a hedge or similar)

[skyrover]

Cerberus90 said:

I've not been killed to death yet after driving a little box made from iron-oxide, paint and oil for 4 years,

Thankfully we have some of the safest roads in the world here in the UK.

The Russians should pay close attention to the video though

[kambites]

crosseyedlion said:

kambites said:

Personally, I choose other factors which effect me every day over the tiny chance of ever having an accident in which it will make any difference.

Have you ever had a bad accident? (im not talking about sliding into a hedge or similar)

Nope, and I intend to keep it that way if I can.

[HemiCommander]

Whilst the safety aspect is important, in the real world people have limited money, limited space and limited driving ability so small cars are often the only answer. My next car will be supermini sized and probably not as safe as my current large 4x4 but I need it for other reasons. If bigger = safer and we should all drive only the safest possible vehicles then we will have an arms race of people driving ever larger and larger cars in an attempt to out-safety each other. Wait, what? Oh yes.

The other factor to bear in mind is not having accidents in the first place, which is aided by better visibility, handling and braking, none of which large 4x4s are ideal for. Also the sense of trepidation and possible imminent death one gets in a small car tends to make you more aware and on the ball IMO.

[trashbat]

I bet a lot of people die in a Honda Jazz.

[crosseyedlion]

kambites said:

crosseyedlion said:

kambites said:

Personally, I choose other factors which effect me every day over the tiny chance of ever having an accident in which it will make any difference.

Have you ever had a bad accident? (im not talking about sliding into a hedge or similar)

Nope, and I intend to keep it that way if I can.

Well good for you, but sometimes it's not up to you.

It does make you a better driver.

Unless you're stupid, I can say with reasonable certainty that safety will enter into the equation (even a little bit) once you have.

Doesn't mean you'll drive like a nun in 4x4's, But you will consider it as a factor for a daily driver.

The fact is, although the probability of being involved in a large accident is tiny day-to-day, over a typical driving career it becomes a strong chance, and it only takes 1 to leave you in a wheel chair or your family without a dad, son, brother etc...

I sound like I should be on mumsnet, sorry. But you can still enjoy driving, it just makes you think about mitigating the risk in the worst case.

[C.A.R.]

Small cars not as safe as big cars - shocker!

[selym]

crosseyedlion said:

Gaz. said:

I see where you're going with this, but is it really going to make much difference with a 10t bus or a 44t lorry if you have an extra 600kg in your corner?

...Yes. The more structure around you the greater ability to absorb energy, and more time for decelleration and hopefully acceleration in the direction the bus/truck is travelling.

I'd much prefer to be in a 5 Series than an Up! or a SMART two seat coffin, or even my VX220, come the armageddon.

[kambites]

crosseyedlion said:

kambites said:

crosseyedlion said:

kambites said:

Personally, I choose other factors which effect me every day over the tiny chance of ever having an accident in which it will make any difference.

Have you ever had a bad accident? (im not talking about sliding into a hedge or similar)

Nope, and I intend to keep it that way if I can.

Well good for you, but sometimes it's not up to you.

Indeed, which is why I said I'm willing to take the chance, not that I don't see any benefit. I'm not going to choose the car I buy on the basis of a 1/100000 chance (or whatever it is) that I'll ever have an accident in which a "safer" car will make a significant difference.

If having had an accident makes you a more careful driver, it should make your likelihood of having a second accident (and hence the statistical benefit of having a safer car) lower not higher.

The other point worth making is that going out and buying a bigger, heavier car significantly increases the chance that you will kill someone else if you make a serious mistake when driving. Personally, I think I'd rather someone else's mistake killed me, than my mistake killed someone else.


Each to their own, I'm never going to criticise someone else for making the decision to buy the safest car they can but neither am I going to do so myself.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 28th January 10:15