The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) said today that it is making it harder to earn its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards in 2024. In a never ending battle for the quest for improved safety going back at least to the landmark 1966 National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, IIHS – not without self-interest since it is insurance company funded – wants manufacturers to offer better protection for back seat passengers and to improve their pedestrian crash avoidance systems. The latest changes will improve the prospects for people in vehicles operating in the US.

If there is a regulatory debate here it’s minor in AutoInformed’s view. The preservation and protection of human beings is part of an enlightened society with sound public, corporate and individual policies. The results are indisputable. Despite the more stringent requirements, 71 models qualify for 2024 awards. Of those, 22 earn Top Safety Pick+, and 49 earn Top Safety Pick from IIHS. (AutoInformed.com on: Automakers Slow to Make Vehicles Safer?; IIHS Toughens Musts for Top Safety Pick Ratings)

“We followed the tougher requirements we introduced last year with another major update to the award criteria in 2024,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “This year’s winners are true standouts, offering the highest level of protection for both vehicle occupants and other vulnerable road users.” (See the IIHS website.)