Yeah it does seem like a scary thing to be in an accident in one of them... but here's what they advertise about safety:
Driving in Canadian traffic.
In Canada, we drive in traffic conditions that are unlike other locations around the world. Many of our highways are wide and open. With a great number of trucks, vans, and SUVs on our roads, our average vehicle size is large when compared to those in European countries. However, even with these unique challenges, the smart car is very safe to drive on Canadian roads and highways.
Passenger protection.
The smart has performed extremely well in crash tests and has met all necessary requirements. Both coupés and cabriolets have also been repeatedly subjected to offset crashes with much larger vehicles and have repeatedly performed in an exemplary manner.
The smart fortwo features a tridion safety cell made of robust steel. At critical points, this cell is further reinforced with high-strength steel. The tridion, combined with the crash management system (crumple zones) and retention system, make the smart one of the safest small cars around.
A sandwich-type construction and raised seat position helps to ensure that passengers generally remain outside of the direct danger zone in a side impact. Crash boxes are located at the front and rear of the smart. Minor knocks have virtually no detrimental effect on the crash boxes and, in the event of a collision, they serve as additional crumple zones.
Accident avoidance.
In addition, the smart has many features that can help drivers avoid accidents.
- The Electronic Stability Program applies the brakes to individual wheels and adjusts engine power to stabilize the car.
- The Antilock Braking System with Electronic Brake Force Distribution prevents wheel lockup during emergency braking and balances the braking forces between the front and rear axle.
- Cornering Brake Control improves vehicle stability by applying the most effective brake pressure to each wheel.
- Brake Assist senses panic stopping by the speed at which you depress the brake pedal and automatically applies all available braking boost immediately.
- Acceleration Skid Control senses drive-wheel slip and prevents loss of traction by braking the slipping wheel.
- Engine Torque Control prevents instability when downshifting on slippery roads by a slight, automatic acceleration or disengaging of the clutch.
- Automatic Hill Start Assist keeps the wheels braked for 0.7 seconds, gives the driver enough time to move the foot to the accelerator without rolling backwards.
