The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said today that it is strengthening the requirements for its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards in 2023 by wanting better side crash protection and improved pedestrian crash prevention systems and eliminating weak headlights from the field of qualifying vehicles. (Award Winners click here)
The biggest change to the criteria for both awards is the replacement of the original IIHS side crash test with the updated evaluation launched in 2021. The updated test involves 82% more energy than the original test. Vehicles must earn an acceptable or good rating to qualify for Top Safety Pick, while a good rating is required for the “plus.” Notably absent from the highest Plus rating are products from what were once called the Detroit Three makers thus far.
As a result of these tougher criteria, only 48 models qualify for 2023 awards. Of those, 28 earn Top Safety Pick+ and 20 earn Top Safety Pick. Before changes to the award requirements, there were 101 winners, including 65 earning the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ for 2022.
“The number of winners is smaller this year because we’re challenging automakers to build on the safety gains they’ve already achieved,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “These models are true standouts in both crash-worthiness and crash prevention.”
The Top Safety Pick+ criteria include another new evaluation, the nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention test. Advanced or superior performance is required in both the nighttime and daytime pedestrian tests for the higher award. For Top Safety Pick, only a daytime rating of advanced or superior is required.
When it comes to headlights, requirements for the base award have gotten more stringent. Previously, a vehicle could qualify by offering at least one trim level with available acceptable or good headlights, while winners of the “plus” award needed to have them standard across all trims. For 2023, both awards require standard acceptable or good headlights.
As before, to earn either award, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front and original moderate overlap front tests.
The roof strength, head restraint and vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluations are no longer part of the award criteria.
Toyota Motor Corporation, both the Toyota and Lexus brands, has the most 2023 awards overall and the most awards in each category — nine Top Safety Pick+ and six Top Safety Pick awards for a total of 15. Honda Motor Company, which includes the Acura and Honda brands, is next with six Top Safety Pick+ and two Top Safety Pick awards. Mazda earns six Top Safety Pick awards.
By class, mid-size luxury SUVs earn the most Top Safety Pick+ awards, with nine, and small SUVs earn the most awards in total, with four Top Safety Pick+ and eight Top Safety Pick awards. However, vehicles of almost every size and class make the cut, including plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles.
More changes to award criteria are coming in 2024. A good, rather than good or acceptable, rating in the updated side evaluation will be required for Top Safety Pick, as well as the higher-tier award. In addition, a good or acceptable rating in the updated moderate overlap front test launched last year will be required for the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award, while a good rating in the original moderate overlap front test will continue to qualify vehicles for Top Safety Pick.
“The updated test, which incorporates an additional dummy positioned in the second row, is designed to encourage automakers to extend the high level of protection now commonly provided for the driver and front seat passenger to rear seat occupants,” IIHS said.
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IIHS Toughens Musts for Top Safety Pick Ratings
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said today that it is strengthening the requirements for its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards in 2023 by wanting better side crash protection and improved pedestrian crash prevention systems and eliminating weak headlights from the field of qualifying vehicles. (Award Winners click here)
The biggest change to the criteria for both awards is the replacement of the original IIHS side crash test with the updated evaluation launched in 2021. The updated test involves 82% more energy than the original test. Vehicles must earn an acceptable or good rating to qualify for Top Safety Pick, while a good rating is required for the “plus.” Notably absent from the highest Plus rating are products from what were once called the Detroit Three makers thus far.
As a result of these tougher criteria, only 48 models qualify for 2023 awards. Of those, 28 earn Top Safety Pick+ and 20 earn Top Safety Pick. Before changes to the award requirements, there were 101 winners, including 65 earning the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ for 2022.
“The number of winners is smaller this year because we’re challenging automakers to build on the safety gains they’ve already achieved,” said IIHS President David Harkey. “These models are true standouts in both crash-worthiness and crash prevention.”
The Top Safety Pick+ criteria include another new evaluation, the nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention test. Advanced or superior performance is required in both the nighttime and daytime pedestrian tests for the higher award. For Top Safety Pick, only a daytime rating of advanced or superior is required.
When it comes to headlights, requirements for the base award have gotten more stringent. Previously, a vehicle could qualify by offering at least one trim level with available acceptable or good headlights, while winners of the “plus” award needed to have them standard across all trims. For 2023, both awards require standard acceptable or good headlights.
As before, to earn either award, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front and original moderate overlap front tests.
The roof strength, head restraint and vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluations are no longer part of the award criteria.
Toyota Motor Corporation, both the Toyota and Lexus brands, has the most 2023 awards overall and the most awards in each category — nine Top Safety Pick+ and six Top Safety Pick awards for a total of 15. Honda Motor Company, which includes the Acura and Honda brands, is next with six Top Safety Pick+ and two Top Safety Pick awards. Mazda earns six Top Safety Pick awards.
By class, mid-size luxury SUVs earn the most Top Safety Pick+ awards, with nine, and small SUVs earn the most awards in total, with four Top Safety Pick+ and eight Top Safety Pick awards. However, vehicles of almost every size and class make the cut, including plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles.
More changes to award criteria are coming in 2024. A good, rather than good or acceptable, rating in the updated side evaluation will be required for Top Safety Pick, as well as the higher-tier award. In addition, a good or acceptable rating in the updated moderate overlap front test launched last year will be required for the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award, while a good rating in the original moderate overlap front test will continue to qualify vehicles for Top Safety Pick.
“The updated test, which incorporates an additional dummy positioned in the second row, is designed to encourage automakers to extend the high level of protection now commonly provided for the driver and front seat passenger to rear seat occupants,” IIHS said.
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