Smart cars

[Dodge Doll]

My gal pal was just up to Vancouver, Canada, over the weekend, and she tells me there's an awful lot of "smart cars" up there on the roads.

Does anyone else find the size of those things to be intimidating? I can't imagine the injuries if one was to be smoked into by an SUV, let alone a dumptruck.

I "get" the need for small, economical commuter wheels, I really do... but when they have to share the road with some of the behemoth's out there today, it's enough to make me shudder.

What's your take?

 

[vroombaby]

I understand the need but I do not like the safety on them. I have a normal sized car for those here in the US. I remember my mother refusing to drive anything small for the fear of being hit my a larger vehicle. I guess it stuck with me too.

 

[Wini]

I am kind of scared to ride in one because they are so small. I might ride in one locally but not on the freeway. I would be scared driving near so many big trucks, though maybe my anxiety isn't warranted.

 

[philio]

Wini, I feel the same way that you do, so if your anxiety is not warranted then mine is not either. I get nervous driving near Smart Cars and Motorcycles because If I mess up I could kill someone.

 

[sharky]

Aren't they supposed to be better for the environment? That might be why there are so many there. I think Canadians are more environmentally conscious than we are.

 

[HANG]

Aren't they supposed to be better for the environment? That might be why there are so many there. I think Canadians are more environmentally conscious than we are.

That's true. The whole world is honestly more environmentally conscious than we are. But that said, we really need to get off this notion of smart cars being totally unsafe. They are just about as safe as any other average car, though not anywhere near as safe as a large SUV, they are actually safer than a compact.

One of the major problems with very small, light automobiles is that they can be unsafe in a collision. The Smart solution is the Tridion steel safety shell. This hemispherical steel "cage" encloses the interior of the car and also forms the bulk of the Smart's chassis. A small energy-absorbing crumple zone at the front of the car lessens impacts, and the engine lives in the trunk of the car instead of the front. While a 1,500-lb. car will never be as safe for the occupants as a larger vehicle, the Tridion shell holds up remarkably well in crash tests. A 70 mph crash test conducted by British TV show "Top Gear" revealed that the Smart Fortwo's body remained mostly intact when compared to that of a conventional subcompact car. A sudden deceleration from 70 mph will cause injury of the occupants in just about any vehicle.

 

[Dodge Doll]

I'd no idea the safety testing had gone to that degree... how interesting.

I still have an issue with the idea of driving a car so small that I feel like I'm wearing it, though: I can't see living through a t-bone by a dump-truck, passenger-side impact, in one of those itty-bitty things.

 

[Wini]

I still have an issue with the idea of driving a car so small that I feel like I'm wearing it, though: I can't see living through a t-bone by a dump-truck, passenger-side impact, in one of those itty-bitty things.

That's me as well. I can't get over how unsafe I would feel just being in a car so small. I'm not saying a compact car is extremely safe at all and maybe it's just a false sense of security, but I'm sticking to that. I also feel like there aren't enough of these things on the road to predict what can happen.

 

[Dodge Doll]

Time will tell, the cars haven't been available for long enough for there to be any statistics as regards injuries/accidents/fatalities just yet.

After watching the Stanley Cup riots on TV, I'd say they're a little too easy to flip, though.

 

[NeedNewWheels]

Time will tell, the cars haven't been available for long enough for there to be any statistics as regards injuries/accidents/fatalities just yet.

Yep, that's why I don't get a car that is new on the market. There aren't enough statistics available about Smart Car accidents for me to feel safe riding in one on the freeway. Maybe I'd ride one around town. I get that they're better for the environment but the safety of my family is more important.

 

[jumpinjacks]

I agree with Wheels. I don't like getting brand new cars. I want someone to be the guinea pig and try them out. After someone has done that, and the recalls are done and what not, then I am ready to consider buying a car.

 

[Dodge Doll]

I agree with Wheels. I don't like getting brand new cars. I want someone to be the guinea pig and try them out. After someone has done that, and the recalls are done and what not, then I am ready to consider buying a car.

I'll back that theory, because I'm the same way.

When Dodge brought out the Neon, in 1995, I suspected it might be like the Pontiac Sunfire for warranty issues, and steered clear.

I wound up buying a 96 model, used, a few years later... my neighbours own a 95. The difference in warranty work and maintenance is almost painful to admit to.

And I'd own another Neon at the drop of a hat, they're a really versatile and economical little beast to drive, and very easy to park.

 

[HANG]

I really think you guys are exaggerating the safety concerns. We have already seen numerous tests done on these cars and they have been proven to be very safe. Is that not enough?

 

[sharky]

Probably, but we can't help it if society has taught us extreme paranoia.... right? Anyway, my issue is not really with smart cars, it is with all small cars and motorcycles. I once saw a motorcycle get sucked under a semi truck. Trust me, seeing something like that would make you paranoid too. I would have to get some therapy before I could get a small car or motorcycle.

 

[Donald]

I feel similarly to Sharky, in that Smart cars can't be less safe than motorcycles. I think both bikes and small cars are great in big cities. I first saw Smart cars in Rome several years ago. It might be partly due to helping the environment, but I think the main reason so many people had them there was due to how crowded that city is. It's much easier to comfortably get around if you have a really small vehicle.