Has the time come for Kei cars? You may rethink that idea when you read the answers to the following. 1./ How do micro mini cars fare in crashes with larger vehicles? and 2./ How do micro mini cars fare in crashes with each other!? From Motorminnutes:
Micro Mini cars are clearly inferior in protecting their occupants, according to new crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Smaller cars were crashed head-on with midsize cars from the same manufacturer; the smaller the vehicle, in either size and/or weight, the poorer the occupant protection. The IIHS tests crashed three 2009 micros and minis into their midsize counterparts: The Honda Fit and Accord, the Mercedes Smart ForTwo and C class, and the Toyota Yaris and Camry. The cars crashed at 40 MPH head-on and all three cars collapsed into the space around the driver dummy. The intrusion into the occupant compartment and forces were measured. The results clearly showed that the fatality rate in minicars in multiple-vehicle crashes was nearly twice the rate as it was in large cars, that minicars are not as safe as larger cars, and that minicars are not easier to maneuver. It also dispelled the claims that minicars would be safer if all vehicles on the road were minicars. IIHS stressed that it did not choose SUVs, pickup trucks, or large cars for the test, but midsize cars to highlight the greater potential for injury and fatality minicar occupants are exposed to. In 2007, the death rate per million minicars in single-vehicle crashes was 35 compared with 11 per million for large cars, and a significantly lower rate for midsize cars. 27,28
Micro Mini cars are clearly inferior in protecting their occupants, according to new crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Smaller cars were crashed head-on with midsize cars from the same manufacturer; the smaller the vehicle, in either size and/or weight, the poorer the occupant protection. The IIHS tests crashed three 2009 micros and minis into their midsize counterparts: The Honda Fit and Accord, the Mercedes Smart ForTwo and C class, and the Toyota Yaris and Camry. The cars crashed at 40 MPH head-on and all three cars collapsed into the space around the driver dummy. The intrusion into the occupant compartment and forces were measured. The results clearly showed that the fatality rate in minicars in multiple-vehicle crashes was nearly twice the rate as it was in large cars, that minicars are not as safe as larger cars, and that minicars are not easier to maneuver. It also dispelled the claims that minicars would be safer if all vehicles on the road were minicars. IIHS stressed that it did not choose SUVs, pickup trucks, or large cars for the test, but midsize cars to highlight the greater potential for injury and fatality minicar occupants are exposed to. In 2007, the death rate per million minicars in single-vehicle crashes was 35 compared with 11 per million for large cars, and a significantly lower rate for midsize cars. 27,28