Size does not matter, indeed. The 2012 Fiat 500, the smallest car on the lot, is the top pick for being the safest vehicle by the IIHS or Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The IIHS ratings are very important as it has been the basis of most car buyers, in addition to the ratings from the NHTSA or National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in recent years.
The title though only applies to Fiat 500 units which rolled out of the factories after July 2011. These Fiat 500 mini cars have received the modifications needed to make rear and frontal collisions a lot safer.
It is very rare for subcompacts to become the top pic for safety but the Ford Fiesta 2011 has also done it. To be considered as the safest car, the vehicle must receive the rating “good” for front, rear, side, and rollover road accident simulation tests. The vehicle must also have an stability control system in place but this is already a federal requirement since September of this year.
The test for front crashworthiness simulates an accident happening at 40 mph. You might be familiar with how this looks like as this has been shown on television and videos over the net on how the dummies with seat belts are affected by the collision.
The side crash test subject the car into a 31 mph ramming just like what happens when a mishap happens at an intersection when a driver ignores a red light.
The rear collision is simulated at 20 mph, and the crush test subjects the roof of the vehicle to four times its weight which what happens when the car rolls over violently.