# Safety of smaller cars **URL:** \ **Category:** Safety\ **Tags:** safety\ **Created:** [June 2, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326 "2009-06-02T14:44:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 3:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326/21 "2009-06-04T03:39:22Z")
45mph (the crash test speed) ALL cars are fairly safe… Once you hit 65-70, it makes little difference. They pick you up with a sponge and a scraper. ---
**Author:** ![Jeremy\_R\_Hoyt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jeremy_r_hoyt/32/37_2.png) [@Jeremy\_R\_Hoyt](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeremy_R_Hoyt)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326/22 "2009-06-05T16:17:49Z")
Unfortunately, the 2009 Civic only gets four starts for side impact. When I say “I would feel perfectly safe in any car with a five star crash test rating by the NTSHA,” it means one that gets five stars in each category. ---
**Author:** ![Ranck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aca169/32.png) [@Ranck](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ranck)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326/23 "2009-06-05T17:41:20Z")
Keep in mind that the Civic is the current darling of the teenage hotrod crowd. The car itself is probably as good in a crash as others, but the loss stats may be higher due to many Civic drivers being testosterone addled fools. Nothing against testosterone addled fools you understand, I was one once. ---
**Author:** ![Ron-man](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ron-man/32/739_2.png) [@Ron-man](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ron-man)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326/24 "2009-06-05T19:40:52Z")
Here is some evidence that a safe driver is the most important factor. [http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/crime/2009-06-05/story/students\_heading\_to\_beach\_on\_last\_day\_of\_school\_crash\_on\_i-295\_in\_](http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/crime/2009-06-05/story/students_heading_to_beach_on_last_day_of_school_crash_on_i-295_in_) Still think vehicle size makes you safer? The same blow-out on a small coupe would probably not have led to a rollover. ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326/25 "2009-06-05T20:05:16Z")
You Tricky, Tricky Ron-Man! How’d I Know That It Involved A Ford Exploder Before I Even Clicked Your Link? You Can’t Fool Me! Evidence? Great Example! One person out of 9 had a seat belt on. Nine people in an Exploder can only make a relatively short-wheel based, high-center-of-gravity vehicle even more top heavy. Those vehicles were known for their high speed agility, right? That’s not a large car, it’s a truck! I’ve never considered them to be safe. Oh, and I suppose all 9 kids in a small coupe would have been just fine . . . if they weren’t suffocated prior to the crash! Either vehicle, if all nine had had their seat belts on the number of deaths would probably have been lower. Wait a minute . . . nine seat belts? CSA ---
**Author:** ![Ron-man](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/ron-man/32/739_2.png) [@Ron-man](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ron-man)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326/26 "2009-06-05T20:38:53Z")
Still, the whole thing could have been prevented if the driver had exercised better judgment. Back in my high school days my parents stressed automotive safety and I always insisted my passengers buckle up. I was afraid of a tragedy like this one. I didn’t want the guilt of something like this on my head and these things happen often enough that I would have had to work pretty hard to not learn from them. I couldn’t have fit nine people into my car no matter how hard I tried. Parents buy their kids these large top-heavy SUVs because they think they are safer than small cars. That is a fallacy, especially when the driver is inexperienced. Anyway, I feel really bad for the families. A fourth child just died at the hospital and others are in critical condition. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326/27 "2009-06-05T21:21:34Z")
I didn’t look at NHTSA data, but HLDI offset crashe and side crash data. But… I accept the challenge! NHTSA rates the Kia Optima as 5 stars across the board. Yet, HLDI data shows that the Optima has among the worst payouts for medical. How safe is that? ---
**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326/28 "2009-06-05T22:05:17Z")
Ron-Man, Now That I Can Agree With, Just About The Whole Thing! CSA ---
**Author:** ![bscar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar/32/34_2.png) [@bscar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326/29 "2009-06-06T00:21:50Z")
the driver was 15, he shouldn’t have even been behind the wheel without parent supervision. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/safety-of-smaller-cars/31326.md?page=1)