In the United States, over 6 million people get into car accidents each year. Around the world, around 1.19 million people die each year from vehicle-related crashes. Hence, safety organizations like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have created crash safety reports for vehicles to help prevent accidents and encourage manufacturers to prioritize safety nationwide. If you do find yourself or a loved one in a car accident, a La Porte car accident attorney can walk you through the legal process and discuss your options.
From front and side crash tests to seatbelt reminders and headlight visibility, a variety of factors transform a car from marginal to exceptional. Take a look at the top cars that not only met the safety criteria but exceeded them.
What Is the Car Safety Criteria?
But first, what turns a car from good to great? According to the IIHS, vehicles that meet the criteria for top safety winners fall under Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+. Top Safety Pick+ is designed for motor vehicles that meet the new performance criteria for rear-seat passenger and pedestrian protection.
To become a Top Safety Pick+, cars are tested for frontal and side crashes on driver and passenger sides, headlight visibility and range, crash prevention, seatbelt reminders, child seat attachment feasibility, as well as blind spot detection, and lane switch warnings. The IIHS grades cars from Poor to Good based on the car’s structure, sustained injuries, and driver and passenger restraints.
IIHS also warns that their safety designations are based on the different car sizes, ranging from small sedans to large pickup trucks. Thus, while a midsize sedan may rank higher on the Top Safety Pick than a large SUV, it doesn’t mean it’s the safer vehicle. A larger, heavier vehicle like an SUV will likely fare better in road accidents than a smaller, lighter vehicle like a sedan.
How Crash Testing Works
To get a true understanding of how a motor vehicle will perform in a real accident, it has to go under a series of testing scenarios that mimic a real crash. The NHTSA conducts a series of different crash tests to see how the vehicle performs.
- Frontal Crash Test: This test is performed with average-sized male and small-sized female dummies in the driver and passenger seats, safely secured with seatbelts. It mimics a head-on collision by crashing into a fixed barrier at 35mph.
- Side Barrier Crash Test: This test represents an intersection collision where a 3,015 lb barrier crashes into the vehicle at 38.5mph.
- Side Pole Crash Test: Not all crashes involve other vehicles. Thus, this test represents crashing sideways into a pole, as if you were hydroplaning and losing control. The vehicle is then pulled sideways at 20 mph into a pole on the driver’s side.
- Rollover Resistance Test: This test is to evaluate how “top-heavy” a vehicle is by performing an extreme driving maneuver and seeing if the vehicle will tip over as a result.
Based on these results, a car receives a 1-5 star rating. After reviewing the results, it seems SUVs have taken over the market in terms of safety. This has shown as the popularity of larger SUVs has skyrocketed in recent years.
The Safest Cars on the Market Today
Small Sedans:
- Honda Civic
- Mazda 3
- Toyota Prius hatchback
Midsize Sedans:
- Honda Accord
- Hyundai Ioniq 6
- Mercedes Benz C-Class
- Toyota Camry
Small SUVs:
- Genesis GV60
- Honda HR-V
- Mazda CX-30
- Subaru Solterra
Midsize SUVs:
- Hyundai Palisade
- Kia Telluride
- Mazda CX-90
- Nissan Pathfinder
- Toyota Highlander
Pickup Trucks:
- Rivian R1T
- Toyota Tacoma
