Every year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) ranks cars according to safety features and publishes its findings in a list, “Top Safety Picks,” a ranking that automakers covet. This year, it has toughened its standards in an attempt to get more auto manufacturers to begin using new safety technologies that will prevent crashes.
The IIHS is Toughening Safety Standards
The IIHS recognizes the importance of implementing accident avoidance technology into vehicles, and the organization wanted to reward manufacturers that make efforts to incorporate this technology into their designs.
The criteria for getting on the IIHS’s list are now much stiffer than in years past. In 2013, about 130 vehicles made it to the Top Safety Picks list, while only 39 cars made it this year. The IIHS is making it clear that manufactures had better start raising the bar on their safety features, or they will be sorely lagging in recognition (and eventually sales from safety-minded consumers.)
IIHS President Adrian Lund shares the agency’s objective in a release: “We hope manufacturers will continue to incorporate front crash prevention, developing more robust systems and adding them to more trim levels or, better yet, making them standard equipment.”
2014 Cars that Made the Cut
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(855) 529-0269The IIHS publishes two lists: the Top Safety Picks and the Top Safety Picks. The second list is for “vehicles that not only protect their occupants in a crash, but also have systems that can prevent or mitigate front-to-rear crashes. Front crash prevention, which includes both warning systems and automatic braking, is intended to help inattentive drivers avoid rear-ending a stopped or slower-moving vehicle in front of them.”
These new safety technologies may help reduce the risk of an accident for everyone on the road. Families and parents with teenage drivers might particularly enjoy the benefits from crash avoidance systems.
So who made the cut? There were 22 cars that made the Top Safety Picks+ list, the best of the best in auto safety:
- Honda Civic 4-door;
- Mazda 3 built after October 2013;
- Toyota Prius built after November 2013;
- Ford Fusion;
- Honda Accord 2-door;
- Honda Accord 4-door;
- Mazda 6;
- Subaru Legacy;
- Subaru Outback;
- Infiniti Q50;
- Lincoln MKZ;
- Volvo S60;
- Acura RLX;
- Volvo S80;
- Mazda CX-5 built after October 2013;
- Mitsubishi Outlander;
- Subaru Forester;
- Toyota Highlander;
- Acura MDX;
- Mercedes-Benz M-Class built after August 2013;
- Volvo XC60; and
- Honda Odyssey.
For Legal Questions about Collisions, Consult Chalik & Chalik
Of course, new technologies come with kinks. Should any technology or product malfunction, the results can be disastrous. If you have questions about car accidents or defective parts, contact our injury firm for help. Contact Chalik & Chalik at 855-529-0269 anytime to schedule a free legal consultation.
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