Are Tiny, Gas-Saving Cars Unsafe? Today Mine Saved My Life
I rolled my Toyota Yaris three times this morning after hitting a six-foot-high dirt embankment at highway speed. I crawled out with no more than a bump on my head, seat belt burn, and a massively stiff neck. So, for all you small car safety-doubters out there, I’ve now got personal experience to say otherwise.
Inevitably, whenever we post about small electric cars, funky three-wheelers, or any other small fuel-efficient vehicle here at Gas 2.0, we get typical responses along the lines of “It may get 60 mpg, but that thing’s a death trap,” or “It’s nice to drive electric, but would you trust that car to your family?”
After this morning’s shenanigans, I can unequivocally say “Yes. Yes I would trust my family to a small fuel-efficient car, and I’m miraculously alive and mostly uninjured… so no, it’s not a death trap.”
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My Yaris got 40 mpg and weighed less than half (35%) of a Chevy Suburban. From the outside it may not have looked very substantial, but it sure saved me on fuel costs. And, until today, I would have grudgingly agreed that it may not be as safe as driving a behemoth like the Suburban.
But now that my life has stopped flashing before my eyes, and I’ve had a chance to think, it is simply amazing that I walked away from that crash barely bleeding. I mean, just look at the remnants of my car.
In fact, after today, I think I fared better in my Yaris than I would have in a Suburban land yacht. Imagine how many times I would have flipped in the Suburban and the force of impact that would have come along with crashing a 6,447 pound car?
So, for everybody out there that’s using safety as an excuse to not go green, I must ask you to please take a look at that picture of my car and the wonder of how I walked away well enough to write this post the same day. Then try turning around and telling me that these upcoming small alternative cars aren’t safe simply because they’re small.
It’s more a matter of engineering, and, at least in Toyota’s case, those engineers are miracle-workers.
Editor’s note: This post was updated on October 22, at 8:00 am PST, to correct the curb weight of the Chevy Suburban from 8,600 lbs to 6,447 lbs. 8,600 lbs was the gross vehicle weight rating. 6,447 lbs is the weight of the heaviest Suburban — the 3/4 ton model with four wheel drive. My thanks to Ben Wojdyla, Associate Editor at Jalopnik.com, and the commenters on this post who pointed out that discrepancy.
Wow Nick.
So glad that you are OK, what an experience.
eric
Paul,
Had to get your climate change dig in there, didn’t you?
No anecdotal evidence was used in the safety rating of any car. My point, from the article:
“Then try turning around and telling me that these upcoming small alternative cars aren’t safe simply because they’re small.”
Thanks eric
And thanks to all who’ve wished me well,I really appreciate it.
Regarding vehicle safety, I will add this two cents:
So far, most people (including the author of the New Yorker article Jon linked to) want to compare heavy and cumbersome SUVs to light and nimble gas sippers. But why stick to the extremes? Until recently, I owned a 1994 Infiniti Q45. It was big and heavy, but had sporty handling that made the car drive like a much smaller vehicle. Other than some fishtailing on wet pavement due to its being rear-wheel drive, it handled much, much better than my Honda Accord. I would be willing to bet that a car like my Q45 would pass handling tests with ease, while still providing the bulk and size necessary to be safer in a collision. Thus, you get both active and passive safety in one vehicle. Shouldn’t that be the ideal? Unless, of course, “saving the planet” is your actual aim.
First of all, glad you were safe.
Second - Some small car thoughts.
I drove a 98 Ford Escort for 10 years. I called it the rolling deathtrap. Horrible safety rating and was very happy to get my wife and kids out of it and use it as my commuter car after I found out.
Although I didn’t buy the Yaris (I was sold on it but the sales staff bungled and pushed too hard to get me in a different car) I researched it. Better gas mileage than my Escort, which I also called “The Gas Sipper” and a better safety rating. Unfortunately, you had to find out first hand but at least it panned out for you.
I ended up in a Suzuki Forenza. Also a better safety rating but if I recall correctly the Yaris still has a better safety rating for rear collisions! For those that don’t know the Forenza is considered a compact and is a little larger than a Corolla. I would expect it to be at least equal to the Yaris.
Granted, I would not want to get into a head-on collision with a Suburban in anything smaller than a Mack truck, but what I always liked about the Escort and other smaller cars is that they were typically agile enough to avoid collisions. That is why I hate getting boxed in while driving, it takes away my one advantage.
Ben,
I’ll probably get flamed for this from both sides, but I’m not actually an environmentalist to “save the planet.” I’m an environmentalist to preserve and sustain the environment to save our civilization. I happen to like being a human.
The planet will continue to exist for billions of years — probably long after even the last remnants of our societies have faded into dust. Hence there’s no sense in saving the planet for the planet’s sake.
I am very glad to hear you’re ok. As a Yaris owner, it’s good to see the car saved you. Amazing.
Nice illustration of the Crush Zone principle, and the “egg in the middle we don’t want to crush” principle, meaning you.
You are lucky you were alone, though. In a smaller vehicle people bounce together more. Though you are right, I would trade that to avoid the additional rolls a 6,600-pound vehicle would have managed.
I assume your airbag went off? Did you have side bags? I got a Prius because it had those. And because at 52 mpg, I could snort at. But I qwon’t because it would take away from saying, I’m glad you’re still alive, and get that neck looked at.
I agree w/ what you wrote when it comes to single car accidents, however, have you ever crashed a tiny car into a large car?
I was riding in a tiny 2 door coup and was T-boned by a Trailblazer. The SUV was probably only going 20 mph, but had our car been about 4 feet farther forward, there’s no doubt I’d be dead. Even at low speed the SUV destroyed the front of the car and already was on it’s way to being literally on top of our car. If that was the passenger section we’d be dead. I can’t even imagine what would have happened if the SUV was actually going at any speed.
I should add, I posted a link to this posting on my blog, http://www.subcompactculture.com, which is a blog about small cars. I’m in Oregon, too BTW.