Automobiles Getting Safer

After looking at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's 2012 Top Safety Pick list—the longest ever at 115—it’s clear that automakers have made vast design improvements during the past year. Sixty-nine cars, 38 SUVs, five minivans and three pickups earn the designation for 2012. Eighteen of the recipients—10 of which are Honda/Acura models—are new to the winner’s circle. And again this year, every major automaker has at least one winner. At 15, Toyota/Lexus/Scion has the most winners for 2012, followed by General Motors with 14, Volkswagen/Audi with 13, and Ford/Lincoln and Honda/Acura each with 12.

The ratings cover four of the most common kinds of crashes—front, side, rollover and rear. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s findings indicate that automakers have made roof improvements. Less-than-perfect rollover ratings held back many contenders last year, but the number climbed, as manufacturers redesigned roofs to make them stronger.

“Vehicles rated good for rollover protection have roofs more than twice as strong as the current federal standard requires,” the Institute said. “Such roofs reduce the risk of serious and fatal injury in single-vehicle rollovers by about 50 percent compared with roofs meeting the minimum requirement. A new federal standard for roof strength will phase in beginning with 2013 models.”

For a full list of winners, click here.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
Core systems
MORE FROM DIGITAL INSURANCE