Head-on Collision: Mercedes vs. Smart Car

July 18 (Bloomberg) --- What happens when the new Smart Car ForFour takes on a Mercedes S-Class in a head to head collision at 50 kmp? Smart Automobile CEO Annette Winkler explains. (Source: Bloomberg)

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[typhoonsteamcleaning]

Let's try that again on a Canadian highway in the dead of winter at 110km/hr and replace the Mercedes with a full size one ton pick up truck.

[pmorris]

Close your door after the crash, that's not bad ha!? Not bad, considering you'll never walk again.

[theblueguy]

All wrong. Making a car that doesn't fold in a crash is easy; you just use a strong metal. The reason the mercedes folded way more than the smart is because it has engineered crumple-zones, which are supposed to _decrease the g-forces_. This is why a mercedes driver hitting a brick wall would limp away from the accident in pain, whilst the smart driver would be taken away in a lasagna tray..

[chanm]

Around here here streets with 60 kmph speed limits, with no barrier between opposing lanes, are common. I'd be curious to see what happens to a Smart Car in a head on collision under those circumstances.

[AXVR]

This test is biased towards the smart car, it doesn't show the crashed side, only the good side where there is no damage. Also at 30 mph, there is nearly no "large" damage. Most car crashes occur at 55+.

[hailme]

So, tell me why some poor guy became one with his smart car when he ran into an out of control minivan? When I mean one with his smart car...I mean, he is dead.

[yuowatcher]

To me it is smart car (mercedes) vs stupid car. Mercedes has people inside it unhurt. "Smart car" has one of its doors closing.

[AlbertInSanAntonio]

Dumb even if the frame of the car still stays intact and you can close the door or whatever.internal organs cannot withstand that type of sudden Change in speed and Direction you, would have massive internal bleeding

[postwick]

25 kph? LOL

I can ride my bicycle faster than that.

[CastigadoPorDiosRedimidoPorEl]

try with a ford truck, then we be talking