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smart car- is it really safe, what do you think

5327 Views 29 Replies 21 Participants Last post by  smartcar111
i have seen videos of it getting crashed into walls and such, but its just really hard for me to believe that its safe, i mean seriously, if i got hit by an 18 wheeler in that thing, i dont think i would have a chance, what do yall think of the matter
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Please list all the vehicles you would like to be hit by an 18 wheeler in......
It depends how fast that 18-wheeler is going. I'm serious. I ride a motorcycle and with all being relative, the Smart is safer than my bike.
Please list all the vehicles you would like to be hit by an 18 wheeler in......


Exactly, plus look at it this way, the smart is so small and nimble that you stand a much better chance of AVOIDING the 18 wheeler in the first place. :D

Besides, by your profile you already have one. A little late now isn't it?:rolleyes:
Exactly, plus look at it this way, the smart is so small and nimble that you stand a much better chance of AVOIDING the 18 wheeler in the first place. :D

Besides, by your profile you already have one. A little late now isn't it?:rolleyes:
Remember, this is someone who was Gifted a smart. They knew nothing about the car before they were handed the keys


Start here
safeandsmart.com: real stories from real owners
And here
truth about smart

Read the owners stories and how they opened the door and walked away in crashes bystanders called the morgue.

And like others have said, what vehicle do you want to be in when you get hit by that semi
Not this Hummer
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~You answered your own Question... Drive a 18 wheeler~

You would not be any safer in a bigger car... You Think...
IT WAS A FORD SUV... NOT a Smart...
http://www.snopes.com/photos/accident/smallcar.asp

Note: When your number is up... Its UP... You can't run, and you can't Hide...YUP
Here's my story and I'm sticking to it: http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f5/my-first-accident-35220/

Not even an 18 wheeler would fair against another 18 wheeler. Like mentioned above, it depends on the speed. My friend drives 18 wheelers for a living and had his smart for over two years and he knows how safe the smart is and he loves driving his smart and is not afraid of getting into accidents with other cars while driving his smart.

As I say to many people, if you are so concerned about safety, live in a bubble inside a concrete fallout shelter. Trust me, you are pretty safe there.

Not matter what you do, there is always going to be risk. As soon as you get in a car, no matter what car, there is risk of something happening. I could get up from my computer to leave my room and break my toe (yes, I did that recently). If you want near zero risk, please see above.
The fact is you are much more likely to be in a major T-bone collision than hit another car head-on (let alone have a head-on with an 18-wheeler). The smart has top ratings in side impact tests, largely due to its rigid design and the fact that when a car or truck hits the side, it is hitting both axels at the same time instead of punching through the driver's compartment. Beyond that, it is much more maneuverable in an emergency avoidance situation. I feel safer in my smart than in my dad's large, unwieldy truck.
I’ve found most people who approach me about the safety of the smart just want to argue about it.
For that reason I tell them if they feel it’s unsafe they should just not buy it.
Ken
I’ve found most people who approach me about the safety of the smart just want to argue about it.
For that reason I tell them if they feel it’s unsafe they should just not buy it.
Ken
That will change as Gas prices rise:eek:
I feel safer in my Smart than I did in my Subaru! :)
I totally feel safe as a bug in a rug in my Smart. I felt the feeling of being in a little cocoon the first weekend i ventured out in it. BTW the truth about Smart link was very good, i would like to see something like this for the American folk who still seem to think that bigger is safer.
Oh BTW no vehicle is really safe getting hit by a semi. With the Smart you do stand a chance of being a survivor unlike some of the other small cars out there. Exhibit A, that video of the extreme crashes pulled off by our pals at the HIghway Safety who whack cars all the time, the Smart actually was more intact than the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit, both those cars buckled severely, the Smart only bounced off a little and had it's plastic panels crack apart, while the shell remained in shape.
i have seen videos of it getting crashed into walls and such, but its just really hard for me to believe that its safe, i mean seriously, if i got hit by an 18 wheeler in that thing, i dont think i would have a chance, what do yall think of the matter
Ashtong, over the last 4 months I've read SO SO much about the smart, and let me tell you, I feel VERY safe in my smart. At least, I feel as safe in it as in any vehicle traveling down the road at 65mph. I've read so many stories from real people who've been in crashes that could have been so much worse. Believe me, few cars are built with a roll cage like structure from the factory. By all means, people still get hurt when in accidents in their smart, but rather than being MORE injured because of being in a tiny car, almost everyone in the stories I've read were LESS injured than anyone around them would have guessed, looking at the circumstances of the various accidents. I drive a Cabriolet, and couldn't help but worry that not having a solid roof would make me more vulnerable - and I'm sure it must be true to some degree. But a recent accident by a forum member in his Cabrio involved multiple rollovers, either end to end or sideways, he doesn't know - but his head injury was limited to a cut on his head that stitches took care of. Like - as opposed to a crushed skull!

Besides that, your new car has the same safety features as an $80,000 Mercedes, how cool is that! I'm speaking about all the ways your car keeps you from sliding any which way - there are too many acronyms to name, see this short page for info about that:
smart fortwo active safety features

Any time someone brings up the semi vs. smart thing, we get kind of irritated, because everyone that mentions that forgets that NO passenger vehicle is going to stand up to a head on collision with a semi. But if I were going to be in one, I'd rather be in my smart than in my wife's Camry. No roll cage in the Camry!

Sorry for the long post - I wanted to answer your valid concerns fully.
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i have seen videos of it getting crashed into walls and such, but its just really hard for me to believe that its safe, i mean seriously, if i got hit by an 18 wheeler in that thing, i dont think i would have a chance, what do yall think of the matter
Assuming this is a bad impact, any car will not do well when hit be a fully loaded 18 wheeler. I might also add, that an 18 wheeler doesn't stand a chance when hit by a train.

Assuming you are driving down a 2 lane road and an oncoming, fully loaded, 18 wheeler goes out of control and heads right into your path. Choosing a different car to drive will not change the odds of this happening. The end result will likely be the same no matter what car you drive.

Please don't let unreasonable fear direct you decisions. SUV Dealers will try to get you to believe that paying more for the bigger car makes you safer, BUT in reality, roof crush due to roll over is more likely to happen than head on crashes.


Bob Diaz
in reality, roof crush due to roll over is more likely to happen than head on crashes.


Bob Diaz

Very good point, and this is where the smart excels!
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