According to an announcement made by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) on Wednesday, Smart ForTwo performed excellently during the side and front crash tests it was put to.

However, the car is not going to be named a Top Safety Pick; although the Institute doesn’t have any size restrictions when evaluating cars, Smart ForTwo is way too small and, despite the top marks it received, the car cannot be considered safe in any conditions, highway driving included.

The Smart ForTwo, which is the smallest car ever tested by the IIHS, received the institute’s highest rating (good) for its front and side impact protection and a second best rating (acceptable) for rear impact whiplash protection. This would normally prevent a car from getting the IIHS’s Top Safety Pick.

As the institute's president, Adrian Lund said, a small car could be a good choice for congested urban areas where the heavy traffic prevents drivers from speeding up, thus having a significantly reduced number of serious crashes.

Smart, a division of Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz, has hit the U.S. showrooms earlier this year, at a time when drivers find it more and more difficult to handle the ever-rising fuel prices. So far, the car has been doing great, as more than 30,000 reservations have already been made.