You can never repeal the laws of physics, and a smaller, lighter vehicle is always at a disadvantage no matter how many safety features are built into it.
When you have a teen passenger in the vehicle with a teen driver, the risk of a crash is twice as high. If you have two or more teen passengers in a vehicle the risk can be five times as high.
Fatal crash involvements for 16-year-olds fell 26 percent from 1993 to 2003 as states began to enact graduated licensing laws. But this has not solved the problem by any means. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers. The later they start driving, the better.
Once again, these tests show the importance of side-impact bags. In a head-on crash you have the entire front end of the vehicle to crush and help protect you. In a side crash, there's very little there to absorb the impact, so you are much better protected with side air bags.