I couldn't help but think what a load of tripe this was, are we as Americans still under the impression that a little car can't be safe? It seems to me this is nothing more then Helen Lovejoy screaming "Won't someone please think of the children?"
Granted this article did come from AOL Autos which doesn't know anything about cars, but I still feel that this mentality is alive and well with the American consumer. I really do fail to understand why people assume that if you have 6,000lbs. of vehicle around you, you'll be somehow safer than if you had 2,500lbs.
As I've already said numerous times I own a 2007 MINI Cooper which is the second smallest four wheeled vehicle you can currently buy in the US with only the Smart Fourtwo being smaller. I've been in an accident with it as well and I'm still here without injury and I was hit by a big, heavy VW Passat.
Even though this is a bit old now it still shows my point. This shows the results of a 40mph offset barrier crash test between a first generation MINI Cooper and a Ford F-150 (Link)
I am almost certain I would rather been in the MINI during a 40mph collision because it looks like I might be able to walk again. If you look at the crash dummy's legs in the F-150 you can see that bloke would be a paraplegic for life. And nothing screams safety like having your knees thrown into your chest by the bloody dashboard.
Now my absolute favourite knock at my little car is when people tell me that I will most certainly die if a bigger vehicle hits me, like say a Chevy Tahoe. Well one unfortunate MINI owner in Texas did the experiment for us small car enthusiasts when a Tahoe ran a very red light and more or less ran over the front of the MINI. The pictures speak for themselves.
These photos were taken by Matt Groner and sent into Jalopnik. Apparently Groner walked away with just minor bumps and bruises that just about anyone would suffer in such an accident. The Tahoe driver was in slightly worse shape considering their vehicle ended up laying on the driver side.
The Smart Fourtwo fairs just as well in crashes according the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which gave the Fourtwo excellent ratings. So really next time you are car shopping, which lets be honest won't be for a while because you are probably broke, really take into consideration if you need that 6,000lbs Tahoe because it's supposedly safer. I mean it's for the children right?
