The hot-selling Smart ForTwo earned top ratings in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s front and side crash tests, with lower marks in rear crash tests. Despite its small size and 1,800lb curb weight, the Smart earned “impressive crash test ratings.”
In side-impact testing conducted by both the IIHS and NHTSA, the car’s driver door unlatched, though the IIHS concluded this didn’t appear to affect the test dummy, according to The Detroit News. In the side-impact test, the Smart received an Acceptable rating from the 31mph IIHS test and a five-star rating from the NHTSA.
Traditionally, smaller, lighter vehicles that are far bigger than the sub-9-foot long Smart have a worse track record for occupant protection than larger vehicles, as they lack the structure to absorb impacts inflicted upon them by larger vehicles. “All things being equal, bigger and heavier is always better,” said Adrian Lund, IIHS president.
To see how a Smart holds up in an offset frontal crash with a much bigger car, click
here.
