As owners, what are your thoughts & real-world experiences with personal safety upon impact/accidents??
I am happy with my 2010 Fit auto, but am very very concerned with its safety, being inside such a small vehicle.

Yes, I do know it has a "good" rating on crash tests, but that is compared to other similar sized cars...

PS, I bought it based in budget, MPG, and got a white color only for good visibility to other drivers. How do you feel ?

 

i feel that if an astroid fell on the car it might dent a little more than expected.

 

Wear a bubble wrap suit

 

Trunglam,

Cảm ơn bạn nhiều
Are you that offended that you feel the need to provide a wise reply? not funny to those who were in an accident ok? Are you this sensitive to the topic of what can be a highly dangerous vehicle to be involved in an accident? hope you arent driving a fit then.

 

wow. relax. frankie.

the fit will crumple in all the right places. but if it's your time to go, it's your time to go.

 

I have same initial crash safety concerns with FIT as it is the smallest vehicle I had driven.

Here's how I get over it....others may or may not agree... welcome all views

1) Have to respect the law of physics, - degree of force/impact/destruction = mass x velocity (speed)
Yes, FIT has a small mass which I have no control of but I tried to get out of the way of bigger vehicles, drive carefully, watch for red light runners even if your intersection light turns green to avoid T-bone.
But I have control over velocity (speed)... I stay around 50 mph in city areas and stay within speed limits in highway

2) Good points about FIT that helps

a) Crumple zones to absorb all the force as mentioned by previous poster - advantage to you because your insurance is likely to contribute towards a new car than repair... downside.. insurance is getting increasing expensive for FIT because most FITs are totalled in accidents due to crumple zones but occupants are safe

b) Good visibility all around to watch out for red light runners - avoid T bone

c) location of fuel tank underneath front seats - means any ramming from behind - you will be more protected with great crumple zones before your fuel tank gets hit - remember, no air bags when hit from behind

d) of course, as a last line of defence we will have to rely on the the usual marketing statements about airbags, crash test ratings, bla, bla, bla

3) Speed deception - due to its relative small size, driving a FIT at 70 Mph feels like driving at 100 Mph or more in a bigger vehicle. My brain has been fooled by the feeling of speed in the FIT that I tend not to go over 70Mph. That's why many used to say FIT is a fun car to drive partly because you have a good feeling of speed when driving around the city but in fact the FIT is not going that fast. I am not discounting other fun factors like MT etc

 

I drive with a set of two year old twins in the back. Sometimes it makes me nervous.

 

If you are in a Fit, you should watch out for idiots in SUVs.

If you are in an SUV, you should watch out for 18-wheelers.

If you are in an 18-wheeler, you should watch for trains and bridge abutments.

Message: No matter what you choose, there is always something bigger and/or stouter out there. The biggest safety factor is NOT the vehicle itself. It's the brains of the driver.

geo

 

Two-year olds are evil. Maybe one of those wire dividers would make you feel safer.

Edit: Having been a two year old in a 53 Buick, and spending my formative years in a 64 Valiant, the Fit seems pretty safe.

 

GD/GE seems plenty fine/safe...

totalled - Unofficial Honda FIT Forums - Threads Tagged with totalled

totaled - Unofficial Honda FIT Forums - Threads Tagged with totaled

And there doesn't seem to be that many reports of totaled Fits really for how active FF is too, so generally it seems the Fits do tend to stay clear of serious accidents.

I think the GD had some bad side impact passenger ratings but the GE makes up for it.

 

Personal safety, yours and that of others on the road, should be a primary concern regardless of vehicle-type you drive. In other countries, unwritten rules of the road are "the bigger you are, the more right of way you have." Kind of humorous but really applies to all really. Hard to argue with the laws of physics (already mentioned).

Small cars in the US are still relatively new to the masses comparatively speaking. So the insecurity lingers, which is all part of the the transition.

With that said, many reviews I've read and as posted here already, the Fit has been rated with good marks. Personally, I would not want the experience, just to find out. There is such a thing called "defensive driving" which everyone should practice if not aware of yet. There are courses and written materials about this "driving style". No magic formula here. Simply put (my opinion), it's a mindset of heightened awareness of your environment when behind the wheel - anticipating what others on the road would or would not do, before it happens, and have a plan to respond accordingly.

Driving the speed limit, following all the laws, having the safest car on paper, etc., does not always equate to personal safety. The best deterrent is still between the ears of the driver behind the wheels.

Getting comfy driving a small car takes time getting used to. But not getting comfy is also a good thing. Keeps you on guard. But if driving the Fit creates stress and paranoia, then perhaps its not the car for you.

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed on this post are strictly mine...

 

I feel the Fit is quite safe. Then again, my other vehicle is a Harley-Davidson (30 years and 275,000 miles of street riding), so my perception may be skewed.

That said, I prefer a vehicle that gives me the best chance of avoiding the accident. I put my trust in my own experience, nimble handling, good visibility, and good brakes and acceleration. If that fails, I trust that Honda's engineers have done their best.

 

Size ≠ Safety

Engineering = Safety