Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorney Blog | Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis LLP

People concerned about the Smart fortwo microcar's safety may be happy to learn that the vehicle has earned top scores in automobile accident safety in crash tests conducted by the insurance industry. The Institute for Highway Safety rated the car "good" in front- and side-impact tests, according to results released Wednesday. The results compare vehicles within weight classes, and especially front-end test scores cannot be compared across weight classes. In the front-end crash, the simulation shows what would happen to the car if struck by a vehicle of a similar weight, while the side-impact crash results test what would happen if the vehicle were struck in the side by a sport utility vehicle.

The car has a steel safety cage and four standard airbags both in the front and on the side, and includes electronic stability control. Because this car is over three feet shorter and nearly 700 pounds lighter than other vehicles on the road, safety has been a limiting concern for many people.