How does a car this small achieve resilience to collisions? Upon impact, the smart's "tridion safety cell," which is comprised of a "rigid steel frame, reinforced with
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| The smart's "tridion safety cell" absorbs the impact energy of the oncoming vehicle or stationary object. (Photo: smart Canada) |
high-strength solid steel at important stress points," according to the company's website at www.smart.com, absorbs the impact energy of the oncoming vehicle or stationary object. smart adds that the cell's transverse and lateral struts transfer impact energy to the "crumple zones of the other vehicle involved in the collision," if that is the source of impact that is. The
fortwo cabriolet includes a robust high-strength steel rollover bar too, increasing torsional rigidity. The cabriolet features two crash boxes as well, the one in front reinforced with transverse members and slip tubes, and the rear box featuring an aluminum support. The crash boxes work in unison with the car's polycarbonate body panels to show little or no damage after low-speed collisions of up to 3 km/h. Up to 15 km/h, the crash boxes work like crumple zones to keep the tridion safety cell intact. The outboard mounted wheels also absorb impact to leave the doors, which incidentally integrate side-impact resistant aluminum struts, capable of opening after an accident. Passive safety features are also incorporated into the fortwo cabriolet design, such as standard full-size driver and passenger airbags plus side airbags. Also the
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| For such a small car, there are a lot of active and passive safety features packed in. (Photo: smart Canada) |
steering column has been designed to retract telescopically upon impact, reducing the potential for injury. Just when you thought you were safe from TLAs (three letter acronyms) the little car also includes ETDs (electronic tightening devices) otherwise known as pretensioners, that automatically tighten the seatbelts in milliseconds to keep both occupants snuggly in place during impact. Those seatbelts are integrated into the modular metal reinforced seats too. Keeping the seat and occupant as one unit is said to reduce strain on the body. Another feature that is especially good is Hill Start Assist, which won't allow the fortwo to roll backward when stopped on a hill. It comes in handy when removing the brake and starting out from a stoplight or stop sign.
