New crash tests conducted by the insurance industry indicate that the micro car, the smallest car for sale in the U.S. market, offers a good level of safety.

The 8-foot, 8-inch vehicle received the highest rating, "good," in front-end and side-impact testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The finding helps to address some concerns that consumers may be more vulnerable in the tiny two-seater.

The tests show how well vehicles stack up.

The institute noted that the front-end test scores can't be compared across weight classes, meaning a small car that earns a good rating isn't considered safer than a large car that did not earn the highest rating.

Adrian Lund, the institute's president, said a small car may be more practical in congested urban areas where serious, high-speed crashes are less likely. The institute conducted the crash test to help guide consumers who want a small car that can give them good protection.

"All things being equal in safety, bigger and heavier is always better. But among the smallest cars, the engineers of the Smart did their homework and designed a high level of safety into a very small package," Lund said.

The institute's frontal crash test simulates a 40-mile-per-hour crash with a similar vehicle. The side crash simulates what would happen if the vehicle were struck in the side by a sport utility vehicle at 31 mph.

In a test that assessed the vehicle's protection in rear crashes, the ForTwo received the second-highest rating, "acceptable."

Smart, a division of Daimler's Mercedes-Benz brand, has arrived in U.S. showrooms this year as consumers deal with rising fuel prices. The automaker has received at least 30,000 reservations for the vehicle. It has a base price of about $12,000, destination charges included, and a fully loaded Smart passion convertible costs $17,000.

The vehicle -- 6,159 had sold through the end of April -- gets 33 miles per gallon in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. It is about 3 feet shorter and nearly 700 pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper.

The 1,800-pound ForTwo has a steel safety cage and four standard air bags: two in front and two on the sides to protect the head and abdomen. It also has standard electronic stability control, which is designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the road.

"America has never seen a car this size before, and their first question usually isn't about economy, it's about safety," said Dave Schembri, president of Smart USA. "We think these results are so very important."