Are Light Small Cars Safe?
Crash testing and real world collisions have documented the effects of seat belts and passive restraints such as air bags and proved the benefits of protecting drivers and passengers in the event of a collision with another vehicle or another object.
Better structural engineering and technology have certainly made major improvements in the ability of vehicles to protect occupants from more serious injuries and fatalities.
But what about the ability of a driver to avoid a collision in the first place? Being able to control and maneuver a vehicle well can have a big effect on collision avoidance. Recent advances in using anti-lock brake systems also enable control of a vehicle’s steering to create electronic stability control systems that intervene with the way the driver uses the brakes and power.
By using computer control of braking and throttle a vehicle can be stabilized to avoid skidding, spin-out, and even possible rollover in spite of what the driver is doing.
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A study¹ done some years ago exposed the fallacy of choosing vehicle safety based only on size or weight.
Crash testing and real world collisions have documented the effects of seat belts and passive restraints such as air bags and proved the benefits of protecting drivers and passengers in the event of a collision with another [...]