The IIHS makes it harder to earn its TOP SAFETY PICK and TOP SAFETY PICK+ award. Wayne Gerdes – CleanMPG – Feb. 27, 2024 The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is once again challenging manufacturers to offer better protection for back seat passengers and improve their pedestrian crash avoidance systems. Despite the more stringent requirements, so far 71 models qualify for 2024 awards. Of those, 22 earn TOP SAFETY PICK+, and 49 earn TOP SAFETY PICK. Last year’s biggest change was the replacement of the original side crash test with an updated version that uses a heavier barrier traveling at a higher speed. Initially, an acceptable or good rating was enough to garner the lower-tier TOP SAFETY PICK award. In 2024, a good rating is required for either TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+. In addition, vehicles now need an acceptable or good rating in a revised version of the pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation to qualify for either award. The new version replaces the earlier daytime and nighttime tests with a single evaluation that includes some test runs in daylight and some in the dark. Last year, vehicles could earn the lower-tier award regardless of whether they could detect and avoid pedestrians in the dark. In an even bigger change, the updated moderate front overlap test has replaced the original evaluation in the 2024 TOP SAFETY PICK+ requirements. Vehicles now need an acceptable or good rating in the updated evaluation, which adds a second dummy seated behind the driver and emphasizes back seat safety. A good rating in the original moderate overlap test is still needed for the base TOP SAFETY PICK award. As before, to earn either award, a vehicle must offer good protection in a small overlap front crash, in which 25% of the vehicle’s width on either side collides with another vehicle or a stationary object. This year, the driver-side and passenger-side evaluations have been combined into a single rating. The test is performed on both the driver and passenger sides, and the rating is equivalent to the lower of the two results. Award winners also must have good or acceptable headlights equipped on all trim levels. Hyundai, which includes the Genesis, Hyundai and Kia brands, has the most 2024 awards overall — six TOP SAFETY PICK+ and 10 TOP SAFETY PICK awards for a total of 16. Toyota, which includes the Toyota and Lexus, has the next highest total with one TOP SAFETY PICK+ and 12 TOP SAFETY PICK awards. Mazda earns the most TOP SAFETY PICK+ awards of any single brand, with five, as well as one TOP SAFETY PICK.
Although I hate insurance companies in general, I love the group of them that is IIHS. I would guess that many of the recent safety advances we have are thanks to their efforts.
