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People buy small cars even though they can be deadly

Americans are buying more small cars to cut fuel costs, and that might kill them, according to studies reported in USA Today.

As a group, occupants of small cars are more likely to die in crashes than those in bigger, heavier vehicles are, according to data from the government, the insurance industry and the National Academy of Sciences.

The newest small vehicles, of course, meet today's strict safety standards and can be laden with the latest safety hardware, such as stability control and side air bags. They are safer than ever. And differing designs mean some small cars are safer than average. But even the safest are governed by the laws of physics, which rule in favor of bigger, heavier vehicles, even in single-vehicle crashes.

Posted by Peter C. T. Elsworth  at 11:46 AM to Safety | Permalink

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