Caution about NHTSA Score

[mike700]

"Comparison of frontal impact scores is valid only for vehicles of similar size and class. That means the scores do not indicate how a Smart would fare in a head-on collision with a much bigger or heavier vehicle."

[Old smart]

I think it would make good use of the other guy's crumple zone.

[cmjars]

The Sky is Falling...

[Krodista]

admin can we combine these NHTSA somehow...we have 8 people posting the exact same thing as is already in a forum

[SmartAzz]

Lol, you said you were canceling your reservation, why the need to keep up these types of posts?

Important to factor in as well is the fact that the Smart keeps you so involved while driving so we are perhaps more likely then others to be paying attention to what's going on to help avoid accidents in the first place, and then there is the fact that at 5 feet wide we are a much smaller target then most ;)

[Krodista]

smartazz, I didnt know this was a members only site...my assumption was that it was an enthusiast site, in which case I do still like the cars even though I am not planning on purchasing one soon. I never had a reservation for one, so I never cancelled nor ever mentioned anything about having a reservation to begin with. All of this btw has nothing to do with the topic at hand or the question I was asking the admin

[smartune]

Originally Posted by Krodista

smartazz, I didnt know this was a members only site...my assumption was that it was an enthusiast site, in which case I do still like the cars even though I am not planning on purchasing one soon. I never had a reservation for one, so I never cancelled nor ever mentioned anything about having a reservation to begin with. All of this btw has nothing to do with the topic at hand or the question I was asking the admin

I don't think that was aimed at you...

mike700 posted that he was cancelling because of how 'unsafe' this little car was... and he keeps making topics. I've got the idea that he's just a...

TROLL

-Dan

[spdickey]

http://www.reuters.com/article/domes...48250820080404

Originally Posted by Reuters

Smart car aces U.S. crash test despite door opening
Fri Apr 4, 2008 6:23am EDT

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Daimler AG's new Smart minicar got top marks for handling side crashes in a U.S. government crash test even though the driver's-side door opened during the simulation, the U.S. agency said.

The German automaker put the two-door Smart ForTwo model on sale in the United States this year, eager to tap demand for fuel-efficient cars at a time of near-record prices at the pump.

On its website, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that the driver's door unlatched and opened during a side-impact crash test of the model.

"A door opening during a side impact crash increases the likelihood of occupant ejection," it noted.

Still, the Smart car got five out of five stars for its ability to protect occupants during side crashes. It won four stars for sheltering drivers and three stars for passengers during head-on crashes.

Penske Automotive Group, which is distributing the car in North America, has said it expects to sell up to 25,000 two-seat Smart cars in the United States this year.

Daimler was not immediately available for comment on Friday.
(Reporting by Michael Shields)

[SmartAzz]

Originally Posted by Krodista

smartazz, I didnt know this was a members only site...my assumption was that it was an enthusiast site, in which case I do still like the cars even though I am not planning on purchasing one soon. I never had a reservation for one, so I never cancelled nor ever mentioned anything about having a reservation to begin with. All of this btw has nothing to do with the topic at hand or the question I was asking the admin

I was responding to the original poster of the thread who had stated elsewhere that he had cancelled, yet, for some reason, was posting this and similar. It didn't occur to me at the time that it could be misconstrued as it would be a complete non-sequitur. Sorry if that was not apparent, I omitted my customary quote of the OP in my haste which made it unclear.

[MicroNut]

I've watched the NHTSA video of the side impact test over and over, and I'm not seeing where the door came open. The video shows the entire collision, up to the point where both the sled and the smart are stationary, and the driver's door appears to remain completely closed at all times.

It may have come unlatched - it's not possible to tell from the video - but the statement that it "unlatched and opened" seems misleading based on the footage. Do they mean "unlatched and therefore could have opened"?

The car is spun clockwise after the impact, which would tend to make the driver's door fly open if it were unlatched. And yet the video shows no such thing. Just saying something seems a bit off to me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jaV_2Y0_dg