Small Cars Less Safe

[cosworth151]

From the Department of No Sh*t Sherlock - Small cars are less safe than bigger ones, according to the study released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Smart ForTwo all collapsed upon impact into the space around the driver dummy. Drivers in all three vehicles faced high risk of head and leg injuries after test collisions at 40 miles an hour. In these collisions, the driver dummies in the smaller cars faced "intrusions" on their space from windshield pillars, instrument panels, toe boards and steering wheels.

Spokespeople for the manufacturers have said that the severity of the test collision "is unlikely to occur in real world crashes." In the cases of the Yaris and Fit, I think this is because neither car is likely to reach 40 miles per hour.

[Jericoke]

So where is this 'real world' application of F1 car development?  Those things are tiny, and the drivers walk away from crashes far more severe than 40 MPH.

[Philbe]

Well Duh...I just hope not to much of our tax dollars were spent to come to this stunning conclusion...