In the fourth test, a vehicle was launched at 55 kph on the side of the smart to see how much the structure would crumple. Because of its short wheelbase and door-reinforced safety cell, the little smart offers great protection during such collisions. The incoming vehicle collides with at least one of the wheels, which further dissipates the energy of the impact.
Read-end collision
Finally, the other test that impressed me was the rear-end collision. A new U.S. regulation requires an automobile cockpit to withstand a 80-kph rear-end collision. This kind of accident is highly dangerous because of whiplash-related injuries to the head and neck. Engineers simulated a 70-percent collision based on the assumption that the driver of the following car would try to deviate his/her course at the last second to avoid a collision. Well, here again, the smart successfully protects its occupants. (The doors even open on impact.) The automaker also created high-resistance seat frames that effectively cradle passengers. The picture above is worth a thousand words : only the rear end of the car is damaged. No fluid has leaked. We're far from the old Pintos that used to catch fire.
All in all, the smart might be one of the smallest cars in the world, but its agility and comprehensive active and passive safety arsenal make it a solid, confidence-inspiring machine to drive around town.
photo:Amyot Bachand
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Read-end collision
Finally, the other test that impressed me was the rear-end collision. A new U.S. regulation requires an automobile cockpit to withstand a 80-kph rear-end collision. This kind of accident is highly dangerous because of whiplash-related injuries to the head and neck. Engineers simulated a 70-percent collision based on the assumption that the driver of the following car would try to deviate his/her course at the last second to avoid a collision. Well, here again, the smart successfully protects its occupants. (The doors even open on impact.) The automaker also created high-resistance seat frames that effectively cradle passengers. The picture above is worth a thousand words : only the rear end of the car is damaged. No fluid has leaked. We're far from the old Pintos that used to catch fire.
All in all, the smart might be one of the smallest cars in the world, but its agility and comprehensive active and passive safety arsenal make it a solid, confidence-inspiring machine to drive around town.
photo:Amyot Bachand
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