Like a nut in a nutshell, the tridion safety cell is constructed to give you all-round protection. Made from 3 layers of reinforced steel at all the vital strategic points, it’s designed to distribute impact energy evenly through the safety cell in the event of a crash.

The higher you sit in a car, the safer you are. So Smart use a sandwich construction to raise the seat height and give the driver a better view of the road. It also lifts both driver and passengers above the danger zone if you’re hit from the side.

The smart fortwo coupé has reinforced crash boxes at the front and rear and, like the side panels, can survive minor knocks virtually unscathed. But in a collision, the crash boxes become a crumple zone to absorb energy and keep the tridion safety cell intact. They’re made from shatter-proof materials and any damaged parts are easily replaceable. Oh, and two more safety features you should know about – in a crash, the fuel supply cuts off and the central locking automatically unlocks.

Even the wheels on a smart fortwo can help to protect you. Thanks to the ultra-short wheelbase, any side impact will almost certainly hit a wheel, with the suspension behind it acting as a buffer. In a head-on collision, the front wheel is braced by a bar that helps to absorb the impact energy. Under Euro NCAP crash test conditions, the passenger cell survived an impact speed of 39.8mph( 64km/h), with both doors being easily opened afterwards.

Suppose you get hit from the side? The doors have aluminium profiles in them to provide side impact protection for driver and passengers alike.

Want to see how safe the Smart ForTwo is with your own eyes? Please click on the image below to view a video of what happened when Fifth Gear crash tested the Smart ForTwo...