Small Car Owners Drive Carefully

All you small car owners, beaware and drive carefully. The risk to life in case of accidents in smaller cars is much more than those driving big cars:

"Crash test results released on Dec. 18 by the Arlington (Va.)-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) show that so-called minicars can leave occupants in serious peril, especially when they collide with much larger vehicles like the ones that populate most American roads. Optional Equipment Becomes Necessary IIHS reported that driver fatality rates in subcompacts are higher than in any other vehicle category. In fact, death rates in minicars are double those in midsize and large cars. Fatalities in single-vehicle accidents, meanwhile, are higher in smaller vehicles than larger ones. The new crash results show that passengers in very small cars can suffer serious or even fatal injury in collisions with other vehicles, particularly in side- and rear-impact crashes. Of the eight vehicles tested, all but one earned ratings of "poor" or "marginal" in at least one of the three tests administered. Models from Toyota, Scion, and Hyundai earned scores of "poor" in side-impact tests; the Chevrolet Aveo, a rebadged Daewoo import, earned a "marginal" score. "

Reference: http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/dec2006/bw20061219_905974.htm?chan=autos_autos+index+page_news

Smaller cars are increasingly in demand due to rising fuel prices and growing traffic (thanks to ease of leasing). These small cars have been rated risky by security monitoring authorities. Being smaller in size they do not have side airbags; and their structural rigidity prevents penetration.
Among the dangers of accidents; brain damage, serious neck injury, internal organ injuries, broken ribs, and a fractured pelvis are the most common identified.

So to keep your heads on your shoulders you better drive carefully and keep distance!