The Safety Level and Precautions of the Smart Cars

Are Smart Cars Truly Safe

Much debate sprung from the topic of the modern Smart Car Fortwo, and since its debut in 2008, critics wonder whether the vehicle satisfies the safety requirements meet by most other cars. In order for a car to have place on American roads, the cars must pass certain regulations, administered by the United States Congress via NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), to protect consumers. IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) remains another trusted source for the consumers to research the safety of their products.

The Smart Car Fortwo does however meet and even surpass IHS’s and NHTSA’s standards, which are upheld by other vehicles. “Even IIHS’s data shows small cars as a whole are improving in safety” (Gearing up to Make Safer Smaller Cars) the 2014 Chevy Spark for example is the car I drive. After researching for months The Chevy Spark seemed the best choice due to the size, surprisingly only a total of 3 feet longer in the back as compared to the Smart Car for more passenger space and its safety rating of four stars.

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(IIHS Data base for 2014 vehicles). With its clear resemblance to the Smart Car, not only in safety but in size and appearance, it shows how the smart car lead the way for safer, more efficient vehicles.

Today, People believe that Smart Cars do not provide the people with the safety need on the road because of their size. So instead, people buy SUVs and other large cars that seem to provide a safer feeling than a Smart Car.

However, Smart Cars provide just as much safety as an SUV on the road. Smart Cars come with a “safety cell frame” made of steel and steel bumpers to reinforce them further. For Example: in a car accident, the vehicle does not collapse, rather keeps the passengers safe inside the reinforced frame while the rest of the car absorbs the shock via crumpling. Many other cars have this technology as well which shows smart cars can compete on the same level as larger vehicles. Mercedes-Benz (owners of the Smart brand) patented this Safety Cell technology that redefined safety as we know it.

When it comes to safety, Mercedes-Benz’s squeaky clean track record stays consistent as well as their funding, thus enabling them to provide astronomical amounts of funding in research for the Smart Car line. This large amount of funding made Smart extremely successful, so much so that The Smart car actually survived better in wrecks than some trucks. Trucks are often thought of as the bullies of the road, but when it comes to safety, the frame says otherwise. The Smart Car line uses the Safety Cell in all of its vehicles allowing the pressure to move through the crumple points outside of the passenger area. The Chevrolet Silverado and the Nissan Titan do not use the same frame structure of the incredibly safe Smart Car nor do they possess near the amount of safety technology. With five air bags, only two seats, “Extensive use of lightweight, but ultra-high strength steels, and more advanced occupant restraint systems” (Smallest Car Packs Power).

Another outstanding technological advancement in safety that the smart car possess is “Smart Seat Belts”. When wearing normal seat belts, they restrain the passengers by holding them in place, however, this can cause internal bleeding and extensive bruising. The Smart Seat Belts on the other hand have the ability to give a little more without compromising the safety of the passengers. This innovative technology will save many lives and will most likely be adopted by other brands due to its high success rate.

When it comes down to teenagers and even some adults, they can get distracted easily. Fifty-eight percent of teens involved in accidents in two-thousand fourteen admitted to being distracted in some way or another. (American Automobile Association). Smart Cars do not enable the ability for risk of distraction, in the sense of the number of people able to occupy the car. The fewer people, the less distractions that could occur. This is ideal for parents looking to buy their teen a commuter car or an adult who suffers from ADD (attention deficit disorder), because of its limited capacity and simple features.

Arguments of smart cars as inferior and less functional constantly come about. “Trucks have more of a purpose.”, “SUVs hold more people”, show some of the common arguments held by larger vehicle owners. However as proven previously there are many other great factors to make up for the room and power issue. If the financial situation permits, one could possess multiple vehicles. The two-thousand fifteen Smart Car gets thirty eight miles to the gallon (Smart USA Databases) as opposed to the two-thousand fifteen Chevy Silverado at twenty miles per gallon (Fuel Economy.gov) or the two-thousand fifteen Kia Sorrento at twenty-three miles per gallon (Fuel Economy.gov). When needing to take kids to the beach, the Kia Sorrento would work perfectly, when needing to haul the boat to the lake, the Chevy Silverado had the power, but for typical commuting back and forth to work or school, the smart car takes the prize.

Smart Cars are not just crash tested safe, they are also environmentally safe. According to the Mercedes-Benz company, Smart USA’s Smart brand is all made up of at least 85% Recycled Material, making the smart car “The most sustainable car on the planet”. (Smart USA) The outer skin of the car: scratch-resistant and one hundred percent recyclable, makes it easy for people to save the environment. If a wreck were to total the car, the outer skin, tires, seats, dashboard, and other tinier parts will recycle with ease. (Smart USA) This will not only help the environment, but also help wallets across the world gain back money lost in accidents. The gas emissions tend to draw attention to many environmentalist considering the Smart Brand. According to the IIHS, in two-thousand eight, the Smart Car Fortwo had the lowest carbon dioxide emissions of any vehicle on the market with a forty percent difference from the next competitor. (IIHS databases).

Global warming seems to come up often now due to the high pollution in the atmosphere. People who believe in this theory believe that the earth will become too dangerous for Humans due to the rising temperatures caused by the atmospheric protection that once was, slowly dissipating. Cars give off carbon dioxide; this compound is known for its effect to erode the atmospheres protection. Since the smart car gets incredible gas mileage and gives off low carbon dioxide emissions, many supporters of the global warming theory, love all of the Smart “eco-friendly” features the Smart Car Fortwo offers. (World Bank)

Overpopulation poses more threats than just where to park. The global population increases at an average 1.2 percent. This may not sound like much, but in nineteen-seventy, the global population was at three point eight billion, but by two-thousand that number jumped to six point one billion, and currently, the Earth’s population is at approximately seven point two billion, (World Bank). The more people Earth acquires, more mistakes can be made. With the Smart Car the basic set up, it alleviates the distraction portion of the mistakes, and the small frame gives less space to be hit leaving more space on the road. If everyone were to drive these smaller vehicles, there would be more room for mistakes considering the smart car is an average of 5-6 feet smaller than the typical car. (Smart USA).

Dependability plays a big role in safety. Without a dependable vehicle, there is no guarantee of safety. For example, if the car always breaks, it could shut down on the freeway or leak toxic oils all over the garage where the children play. Now the Smart Car has a five star dependability rating from multiple companies including the highly acclaimed JD powers associates, due to the low maintenance required and amount of recalls made, (Consumer Reports).

When think of safety, does everyone consider all safety factors including environmental safety? Around the world people are beginning to change their minds about the true meaning of safety. Global warming and overpopulation look like new factors to consider when choosing a vehicle along with the typical crash test rating. Take the time and research the vehicle of interest before buying, not only for the usual features. Safety of all aspects of life should factor into car research over all else, however, other factors such as comfort, mobility, and looks need attention as well. As oil prices raise, vehicles increase as well and the environment becomes more of a safety hazard. These conditions seem perfect for the Smart Car. Besides being backed by the safety cell technology of Mercedes-Benz, Smart Car’s fuel economy, size, dependability and personalized touch proves perfection for the changing world.