Princess Diana died of this injury, and the amount of people who die in car accidents in the UK is pretty low anyway, I think its a good way of showing that its not the impact that kills you (well it is but you know what I mean)
Did you see the Top Gear episode or was it 5th gear where they drove a Smart car into a brick wall, they explained that the car was able to withstand an impact far greater than a human body can cope with, and that it was a very safe little car :)