Mini or Micro Cars Pose Greater Risk to Injury

In recent studies conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, it was revealed that micro and mini cars, like the Smart Fourtwo, Toyota Yaris, and Honda Fit, did not offer nearly as much protection to their occupants as did mid-size vehicles from the same manufacturers.

The reason for the lessened amount of safety protection is a simple rule of physics. While the vehicles did well in frontal collisions against inanimate, stationary objects, they did not do nearly as well against a slightly larger car that was also moving. The reason for this difference is that the larger cars weigh more and so had more force behind them when they hit something. The lighter, smaller mini and micro cars were simply outmatched. They did not have nearly as much force behind them and so were simply pushed around by the larger, heavier cars.

While some may doubt the results based on the idea that the study used trucks or SUVs, it didn’t. The study used the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and the Mercedes C class in its studies. These cars were matched up with their micro or mini version from the same manufacturer and then put through head-on collision tests.

The study also put the cars through head-on tests with solid, stationary objects. In these tests, the cars performed better but still not on the same level as their larger, heavier counterparts. This is good news as the majority of accidents that have involved mini and micro cars have been single-vehicle accidents.

Fuel economy and energy conservation are still important for buying a car but safety should still trump all.

Contact a Houston Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been injured in an accident while driving a micro or mini car, contact the Houston car accident lawyers of Williams Kherkher at 1-800-220-9341.