Mini-Car Safety Issue Hits Trend Head On

The recent report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that most mini-cars failed rigorous crash test safety standards, alarmed many people who are buying small cars at a faster rate than ever.

And while only the Chevrolet Spark, out of 11 cars surveyed offered acceptable protection in the small overlap frontal protection crash test, other factors mitigate the viability of mini-cars in the marketplace.

First it is understood that small lightweight vehicles are inherently less safe than larger vehicles, and that on American roadways still dominated by pick-up trucks and SUVs, even the best designed small cars are up against simple physics in a crash scenario!

Significantly, two of the worst performers in the test –- the Honda Fit and the Fiat 500 –- are both best-selling vehicles in the category with rave reviews from owners and the motor press.

Though personal responsibility is hard to factor into product safety, it is significant that the United States has 10.4 road fatalities per 100,000 of population per year, while countries like Britain, Germany and Japan, where small cars have always been a popular, show fatalities rates of a one-third to one-half of the American statistics.

This George Polgar of GT Marketing for KYW News Radio.