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Economical warehousing & more
Economical warehousing & more
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Smart Car Safety
The
Smart Car designers knew that the visual size of the car would raise
the question of its safety. Because of this, they built Smart with
safety in mind.
Tridion Safety Shell
To begin with, they used a safety cell construction, a "Tridion" frame. The entire frame of Smart is a Steel Structure, reinforced with high strength steel at strategic points. When Smart is hit the force is distributed evenly around the driver and passenger. The steel frame of the Smart car is often compared with the design of a helmet or walnut shell.
The European safety rating is 3 stars. This ranks very competitively with both similarly sized models, as well, as much larger vehicles.
Crash Boxes
The Smart features two collision boxes: one in the front that is reinforced with transverse members and slip tubes and another in the rear box, which features an aluminum support. These parts and the bodypanels shrug off knocks at up to 2 mph with virtually no sign of damage. In collisions at speeds of up to around 9 mph, they serve as a crumple zone and prevent the tridion safety cell from being damaged. If the crash boxes are damaged, they are modular and can be replaced quickly. In the event of a crash, the plastic materials used on both the exterior and interior are shatterproof and will be 'shrugged off' in a collision. Additionally, for added safety, the fuel supply is halted and the central locking automatically unlocks following an impact to the car.
Wheels Function as a Safety Feature
Smart has reinvented the wheel as a safety element. If another car hits your smart fortwo from the side, the compactness of the smart fortwo is a great advantage. Thanks to the ultrashort wheel-base, the other car will almost always hit a wheel, allowing the suspension components to deform and absorb some of the crash energy. In the event of a head-on collision, the front wheels double as a crumple zone. In the European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) crash tests, the tridion remained rigid following collision tests, protecting both the driver and passenger.
Standard Full-Size Driver and Passenger Airbags
The Smart Car somes standard with Full-size driver and passenger side airbags. Additionally, side airbags are offered as an optional feature on the ForTwo models.
Sandwich-type Construction
The Smart is unique in the aspect of having 'raised' driver and passenger seats. Because sitting higher means staying on top in tricky situations, drivers and passengers are better protected from injury in collisions. The sandwich-type construction and raised seating position allow the driver and passenger to be kept outside the direct danger zone in the event of a side impact.
Seat Belts & Seat Position/Safety
The belt guides are integrated into the back seat rest. The three-point seat belt system ensures optimum seating comfort for persons of all sizes in any seat positions. Furthermore, the passenger seat can be pushed back slightly farther than the driver seat, preventing the passengers from colliding with one another if the Smart Fortwo is hit and allowing the driver a better side view.
The car includes electronic tightening devices, otherwise know as pretensioners, which automatically tighten the seat belts in milliseconds to hold both occupants snugly in place. The belt is also programmed to release in a controlled amount, which prevents too much force from being exerted on the chest too quickly.The seats themselves are comprised with a modular metal structure and the seat back rests are reinforced with strong steel shells. The headrests are also integral elements of the safety seats and are always in place to offer maximum protection.
If the Smart Fortwo is hit from behind, the rear crash boxes, the tridion safety cell and the rear-mounted engine will absorb much of the impact energy. Whilst the integral safety seat design gives enhanced protection and leaves you with no doubt that you are in the safe hands of the Smart Car.
Steering Column
The steering column has been designed to retract telescopically upon impact, minimizing the likelihood of injury. When a collision occurs at up to 9 mph, the front crash box absorbs the energy of impact to protect the Tridion Frame, which can be very costly to replace. At faster speeds, the front section and wheels buckle in sequence, providing a maximum crumple zone. The engine is located in the rear of the vehicle, similar to a VW beetle if you will, so there's nothing hazardous in front of you. Knee protectors keep your legs un-injured in the event of a crash and airbags soften the blow even further.
Active Damage Prevention System
The Smart Car has an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with an electronic brake-force distribution and electronic stability programme (ESP) with brake assist. ESP is able to moderate the engine power and selectively brake individual wheels to stabilize the Smart Fortwo. The ESP functions in instances such as: the rear end of the car threatening to break away, the car understeers, the wheel spins or the car loses contact with the road. The esp sensors can also detect when you are attempting to perform an emergency stop and apply maximum braking effort to bring the smart fortwo to a halt quickly, even if you haven't pressed the pedal hard enough. The hydraulic brake assist function makes a decisive contribution by saving those vital few yards in a tricky situation.
Tridion Safety Shell
To begin with, they used a safety cell construction, a "Tridion" frame. The entire frame of Smart is a Steel Structure, reinforced with high strength steel at strategic points. When Smart is hit the force is distributed evenly around the driver and passenger. The steel frame of the Smart car is often compared with the design of a helmet or walnut shell.
The European safety rating is 3 stars. This ranks very competitively with both similarly sized models, as well, as much larger vehicles.
Crash Boxes
The Smart features two collision boxes: one in the front that is reinforced with transverse members and slip tubes and another in the rear box, which features an aluminum support. These parts and the bodypanels shrug off knocks at up to 2 mph with virtually no sign of damage. In collisions at speeds of up to around 9 mph, they serve as a crumple zone and prevent the tridion safety cell from being damaged. If the crash boxes are damaged, they are modular and can be replaced quickly. In the event of a crash, the plastic materials used on both the exterior and interior are shatterproof and will be 'shrugged off' in a collision. Additionally, for added safety, the fuel supply is halted and the central locking automatically unlocks following an impact to the car.
Wheels Function as a Safety Feature
Smart has reinvented the wheel as a safety element. If another car hits your smart fortwo from the side, the compactness of the smart fortwo is a great advantage. Thanks to the ultrashort wheel-base, the other car will almost always hit a wheel, allowing the suspension components to deform and absorb some of the crash energy. In the event of a head-on collision, the front wheels double as a crumple zone. In the European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) crash tests, the tridion remained rigid following collision tests, protecting both the driver and passenger.
Standard Full-Size Driver and Passenger Airbags
The Smart Car somes standard with Full-size driver and passenger side airbags. Additionally, side airbags are offered as an optional feature on the ForTwo models.
Sandwich-type Construction
The Smart is unique in the aspect of having 'raised' driver and passenger seats. Because sitting higher means staying on top in tricky situations, drivers and passengers are better protected from injury in collisions. The sandwich-type construction and raised seating position allow the driver and passenger to be kept outside the direct danger zone in the event of a side impact.
Seat Belts & Seat Position/Safety
The belt guides are integrated into the back seat rest. The three-point seat belt system ensures optimum seating comfort for persons of all sizes in any seat positions. Furthermore, the passenger seat can be pushed back slightly farther than the driver seat, preventing the passengers from colliding with one another if the Smart Fortwo is hit and allowing the driver a better side view.
The car includes electronic tightening devices, otherwise know as pretensioners, which automatically tighten the seat belts in milliseconds to hold both occupants snugly in place. The belt is also programmed to release in a controlled amount, which prevents too much force from being exerted on the chest too quickly.The seats themselves are comprised with a modular metal structure and the seat back rests are reinforced with strong steel shells. The headrests are also integral elements of the safety seats and are always in place to offer maximum protection.
If the Smart Fortwo is hit from behind, the rear crash boxes, the tridion safety cell and the rear-mounted engine will absorb much of the impact energy. Whilst the integral safety seat design gives enhanced protection and leaves you with no doubt that you are in the safe hands of the Smart Car.
Steering Column
The steering column has been designed to retract telescopically upon impact, minimizing the likelihood of injury. When a collision occurs at up to 9 mph, the front crash box absorbs the energy of impact to protect the Tridion Frame, which can be very costly to replace. At faster speeds, the front section and wheels buckle in sequence, providing a maximum crumple zone. The engine is located in the rear of the vehicle, similar to a VW beetle if you will, so there's nothing hazardous in front of you. Knee protectors keep your legs un-injured in the event of a crash and airbags soften the blow even further.
Active Damage Prevention System
The Smart Car has an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with an electronic brake-force distribution and electronic stability programme (ESP) with brake assist. ESP is able to moderate the engine power and selectively brake individual wheels to stabilize the Smart Fortwo. The ESP functions in instances such as: the rear end of the car threatening to break away, the car understeers, the wheel spins or the car loses contact with the road. The esp sensors can also detect when you are attempting to perform an emergency stop and apply maximum braking effort to bring the smart fortwo to a halt quickly, even if you haven't pressed the pedal hard enough. The hydraulic brake assist function makes a decisive contribution by saving those vital few yards in a tricky situation.
