Michigan motorists should pay attention to a recent report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This organization studies auto accidents, including Michigan auto accidents, and put minicars and sub-compacts through front, side and rear crash tests.

The results from this series of tests should give pause to Michigan automobile drivers and passengers.

The New York Times recognized that small cars are “back in vogue because of high gasoline prices but most fail to provide the same safety protection that buyers find in bigger vehicles.”

All eight models of small cars tested received passing scores on head-on crash tests, but only one, the Nissan Versa, received high marks in both side and rear crash tests. It appears, according to the report, that the Versa is several hundred pounds heavier than competing models. Three other vehicles scored well in side tests, but receive low ratings in rear tests – Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and the Mini Cooper from BMW.

The cars involved in the auto accident crash simulations included: Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris (with and without airbags), Honda Fit, Mini Cooper, Chevrolet Aveo, Scion xB, Hyundai Accent, and Kia Rio.

For Michigan auto accident victims, the size of the car that they occupy at the time of the Michigan car accident may be the difference between life and death. Fatality rates for drivers in multiple-vehicle crashes are higher for subcompacts than for every other vehicle category – 83 deaths per million registered vehicles, more than double the average for all sizes of cars and trucks.