Tried and Tested, the Safest Cars of 2016
Dreaming of a new car for 2016? Make safety your first priority as you browse through dealerships. Conveniently, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just named 48 cars to its annual Top Safety Pick+ list.
Since 2006, the IIHS has tested cars, assessing everything from front crash prevention to roof strength, and then released their findings to the public. Their goal? To empower consumers by giving them accurate information about the safest cars of the year. At first, the IIHS just published one list: the Top Safety Pick, which names the vehicles with the best safety performance. But in 2012, the IIHS introduced a new, more prestigious list that celebrates advanced safety: the Top Safety Pick+.
This year, the IIHS upped their criteria for the Top Safety Pick+, encouraging car makers to use innovative technology and thoughtful design to produce even safer vehicles. To qualify for this year’s Top Safety Pick+ list, cars needed to boast an advanced front crash prevention system with the ability to automatically slow or stop before colliding with an object. Meanwhile, cars on the Top Safety Pick list needed to have basic front crash prevention systems that warn drivers if they get too close to an object.
A couple automakers, such as Honda and Subaru made their way onto the Top Safety Pick lists more than once. But Toyota was the big winner, earning nine Top Safety Pick+ awards. Other brands, like Nissan, redesigned some of their earlier models and improved their ranks from last year. The IIHS president Adrian Lund commented that today’s cars keep getting safer and safer. Perhaps safety awards motivate automakers to find new and progressive ways to protect drivers.
Remember: choosing a car with a high safety ranking is just one way to stay safe on the road. Responsible driving and a dependable insurance policy are a couple other ways.
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