Question
Small Cars Make Big Jumps in Safety
Physical Science Studies: Relationships of Force and Motion
Small cars now offer better protection to motorists in serious crashes. What has changed? The cars are better equipped.
Small cars are becoming more popular. Their sales rose by 6 percent in 2021. This was mostly because of rapidly changing gas prices.
It's not only sales of small cars that have improved. Their safety ratings have gone up, too. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests vehicles. It examines how well the cars perform in accidents. The IIHS tested 34 models of 2022 small cars. The vehicles were tested in different types of accidents. The cars received ratings based on a four-level scale. The highest level is "good." The lowest is "poor."
Some cars are named a "Top Safety Pick." These cars must earn "good" ratings in all kinds of crashes. They must also earn high ratings in front crash prevention.
How did the small cars score? More than half of the 34 vehicles tested received a "Top Safety Pick" award. The highest rated cars were the Honda Civic, Honda Insight, and Mazda3. Several other cars earned awards. Which cars? Five Subaru models, two Toyota models, and two Volkswagen models. One model each from Hyundai, Kia, and Nissan also ranked.
IIHS states that small and large cars are rated differently for safety. Overall, smaller vehicles generally offer less protection than larger ones."
"Cars aren't... in rollovers as often as SUVs and pickups. But when they do roll, the [results] can be deadly," said Joe Nolan. Nolan is an IIHS vice president. "Automakers have made big improvements to small cars to better protect people…," he added.
Small cars tested also earned top scores in side-crash protection. This was a huge improvement compared to 2007. That year, 19 vehicles were tested in side crashes. Only 3 received a score of "good." In 2022, however, 34 small cars were tested in side crashes. Twenty-four of them received the highest score.
Nolan says the improvement is because of side air bags. Car buyers used to pay extra for these. Now, most new cars have them.
"[Automakers have added] head-protecting side air bags," Nolan said. "[The air bags] help in side crashes."
It's perhaps reassuring that carmakers are trying to improve the safety of small cars. However, Nolan reminds buyers, it's a fact: Smaller, lighter cars do offer more crash protection than they used to. But larger, heavier vehicles, offer more.
Information for this story came from AP.
After Reading
Now that you have read the article, indicate whether you agree or disagree with this statement.
In a crash, a person would want to be in the bigger car.
Agree
Disagree
Explain why you voted the way you did. Then read and respond to what others have to say.
short answer
Physical Science Studies: Relationships of Force and Motion
Small cars now offer better protection to motorists in serious crashes. What has changed? The cars are better equipped.
Small cars are becoming more popular. Their sales rose by 6 percent in 2021. This was mostly because of rapidly changing gas prices.
It's not only sales of small cars that have improved. Their safety ratings have gone up, too. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tests vehicles. It examines how well the cars perform in accidents. The IIHS tested 34 models of 2022 small cars. The vehicles were tested in different types of accidents. The cars received ratings based on a four-level scale. The highest level is "good." The lowest is "poor."
Some cars are named a "Top Safety Pick." These cars must earn "good" ratings in all kinds of crashes. They must also earn high ratings in front crash prevention.
How did the small cars score? More than half of the 34 vehicles tested received a "Top Safety Pick" award. The highest rated cars were the Honda Civic, Honda Insight, and Mazda3. Several other cars earned awards. Which cars? Five Subaru models, two Toyota models, and two Volkswagen models. One model each from Hyundai, Kia, and Nissan also ranked.
IIHS states that small and large cars are rated differently for safety. Overall, smaller vehicles generally offer less protection than larger ones."
"Cars aren't... in rollovers as often as SUVs and pickups. But when they do roll, the [results] can be deadly," said Joe Nolan. Nolan is an IIHS vice president. "Automakers have made big improvements to small cars to better protect people…," he added.
Small cars tested also earned top scores in side-crash protection. This was a huge improvement compared to 2007. That year, 19 vehicles were tested in side crashes. Only 3 received a score of "good." In 2022, however, 34 small cars were tested in side crashes. Twenty-four of them received the highest score.
Nolan says the improvement is because of side air bags. Car buyers used to pay extra for these. Now, most new cars have them.
"[Automakers have added] head-protecting side air bags," Nolan said. "[The air bags] help in side crashes."
It's perhaps reassuring that carmakers are trying to improve the safety of small cars. However, Nolan reminds buyers, it's a fact: Smaller, lighter cars do offer more crash protection than they used to. But larger, heavier vehicles, offer more.
Information for this story came from AP.
After Reading
Now that you have read the article, indicate whether you agree or disagree with this statement.
In a crash, a person would want to be in the bigger car.
Agree
Disagree
Explain why you voted the way you did. Then read and respond to what others have to say.
short answer
Answers
GPT-4o mini
**Agree**
In a crash, a person would want to be in a bigger car because larger, heavier vehicles generally offer more protection than smaller ones. According to the article, while small cars have improved in safety ratings and include features like head-protecting side airbags, the fundamental physics of force and motion suggest that a larger vehicle can absorb more impact during a collision. Additionally, in the case of serious accidents, the mass and structure of larger vehicles like SUVs and pickups provide additional safety benefits that lighter cars cannot match, even with advancements in technology. Therefore, despite improvements in small car safety, the inherent advantages of larger vehicles in crashes make them a preferable choice for maximum protection.
In a crash, a person would want to be in a bigger car because larger, heavier vehicles generally offer more protection than smaller ones. According to the article, while small cars have improved in safety ratings and include features like head-protecting side airbags, the fundamental physics of force and motion suggest that a larger vehicle can absorb more impact during a collision. Additionally, in the case of serious accidents, the mass and structure of larger vehicles like SUVs and pickups provide additional safety benefits that lighter cars cannot match, even with advancements in technology. Therefore, despite improvements in small car safety, the inherent advantages of larger vehicles in crashes make them a preferable choice for maximum protection.