Small Cars Fared Poorly in Crash Tests, Drivers More Likely to be Seriously Injured
More and more around Jacksonville, Florida, we see smaller cars on the roads. This is surely a reaction to the spike in gas prices that occurred the past couple of years. But when you look at these small cars, you have to wonder how safe they are, how well they would hold up in a serious accident and whether occupants in such small vehicles are more likely to be injured in crashes.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts crash tests to determine which vehicles are more or less safe and which vehicles protect their occupants better in a crash. Those tests revealed that occupants in these smaller cars are more susceptible to serious leg and head injuries when involved in serious front-end auto accidents, according to a recent article on News4jax.com. Manufacturers of the small vehicles tested countered that the tests were run under extreme and unusual circumstances. However, the IIHS indicated that the test crashes involved cars traveling at speeds of 40 miles per hour, which isn't particularly extreme or unusual. This seems to be logical as the less space one has for his/her legs, the more likely the legs may be crushed in a serious crash. Head injuries are often caused in car crashes when a person's head hits something inside the vehicle such as the steering wheel, side panels, windows or the windshield. Of course, the use of seat belts has been proven to reduce injuries and limit the severity of injuries when they do occur after a crash in any type of vehicle.
In personal injury lawsuits or wrongful death lawsuits, the type of car a person decides to drive should not be held against a plaintiff making a claim for damages from an accident (although failure to wear a seatbelt does often reduce a plaintiff's damages). However, people do need to be aware that these small vehicles may not protect an occupant in certain types of serious crashes as well as bigger and less fuel efficient vehicles.
