Safety and insurance watchdogs have never stopped magnifying the automotive industry, with the pivotal duty of watching that vehicles plying our roads are in a safe and able condition. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) leads the pack, which recently published a list of the “Top Safety Picks” for 2024.The announcement of this rating is even more significant with the implementation of new test standards that are set to raise both the bar for vehicle and pedestrian safety. Following these provisions, this award’s essential details include the prize’s importance, changes to the award’s testing criteria, and the vehicles that have ended up as the safest options for consumers.
Understanding IIHS Safety Picks
Before we get into who’s won this year, let’s understand what the IIHS Top Safety Picks Awards mean. The IIHS Top Safety Pick is divided into two groups: the Top Safety Pick Plus and just the Top Safety Pick. The only difference is that the “+” means even more safety. These, thus, are not awards thrown out without consideration but are truly indicative of the capacity of the vehicle to protect the occupants in the case of several potential crash scenarios, including front, side, rollover, and now tougher tests on pedestrian crash avoidance.
2024’s Enhanced Testing Criteria
This year marks a historic move by the IIHS in changing the criteria for a new start to a new car safety era. The strengthening of III and the requirements in cases of pedestrian accidents trigger such advances that their requirements are tabulated for consumer safety and the protection of vulnerable road users outside the vehicle.
The Winners: Setting New Safety Standards
- Hyundai Motor Group Takes the Lead
In winning five out of the ten Top Safety Pick+ awards and three out of the ten Top Safety Pick awards, Hyundai Motor Group, which includes the brands Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis, was positioned as the number one most rewarding car brand in 2024. Having received a total of 6 Top Safety Pick+ and 10 Top Safety Pick awards will reflect a substantial rising interest in the safety of vehicles by loads of models. This will be apparent in the high commitment that the Hyundai Motor Group has towards the innovations of safety technologies and designs of cars. - Notable Achievements Across Brands
Meanwhile, with its luxury Lexus brand, Toyota is among the trio with the best contributions to vehicle safety this year. Its brawny vehicle lineup includes one vehicle with the Top Safety + rating and dares to boast that all other 12 models wear the top pick, showing the lolly company has invested in providing its complete offerings centered on safety. Meanwhile, the Mazda brand is best known for its mania of commitment to safety in the cars’ various genres and has the single-brand record for the most Top Safety Pick+ accolade wins. - Spotlight on SUVs and Electric Vehicles
This year, whoever submitted the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards indicated more consumer preferences for SUVs and EVs. Some of the Top Safety Pick+ awards went to winners among small, mid-size, and mid-size luxury SUV categories, which are getting popular in the U.S. Adding the EV and plug-in hybrid category to the winners shows the future can be safe and sustainable.
The Importance of Safety in Vehicle Choice
Indeed, choosing a good and safe vehicle has never been more critical. The rigorous tests carried out by IIHS serve as a good indicator of the direction consumers could go when safety is their first consideration. With the kind of technological advancements that have been witnessed in automotive technologies, including structural designs in today’s vehicles and autonomous driving aids, no other new cars have provided better protection for people inside them and away from them.
The Impact of Safety Awards on Consumer Choices
The IIHS Top Safety Pick has quite an influence on consumer behavior and choice. In fact, for many potential buyers, it is a leading pair of testaments to cars that have been through adequate testing and are known to give formidable protection. Such impact informs the consumers and encourages the manufacturer to work on making his product safe at the point of design and development.
The rise of public awareness regarding worthy safety awards, too, plants a competitive environment naturally among automakers, always pressing for excellence in safety, which brings forth a general improvement to the industry.
The Role of Regulatory Bodies and Insurance Companies
The center of all this regulation and implementation is at the core, with the regulatory bodies and insurance companies, the role of vehicle safety standards, and their insurance. The groups of organizations like the IIHS often set criteria because of purchasing safety and often exceed regulatory standards in safety, pushing what is considered safe testing and following since it is reactive testing, not proactive research, and testing.
That proactive approach to safety sets a halo effect in motion through the standards and policies throughout the regulatory bodies and insurance companies following suit. For example, insurance companies may offer lower premiums to those vehicles named top safety picks, thus offering a financial incentive for consumers to opt for safer cars.
Such an ecosystemic environment in reducing road accidents and injuries and their consequences created by safety organizations, regulators, insurance companies, and manufacturers usually forms a symbiotic relationship.
Moving Forward: The Evolution of Safety Standards
IIHS’s 2024 tweaking to its testing criteria is part of that much bigger movement the motoring industry will sense as expectations around more holistic safety norms deepen. It will significantly benefit all road users now. Safer vehicles mean fewer accidents, fewer injuries, and more occasional fatal car crashes on our roads.
Conclusion: A Safer Future on the Horizon
The 2024 IIHS Top Safety Pick reiterates the continuous effort on the part of the automotive industry to make strides in vehicle safety. Therefore, each passing year has more rigorous safety standards in place that are there to be met or even exceeded, and, as a result of this, a precedent is set such that produced vehicles turn out to be safer than the previous year’s.
Shortly, safety comes first, and technology will keep pioneering and fuel even more innovation and technology in the automotive industry. The automaker said the action is part of a more significant corporate endeavor to reassess the safety of all its vehicles and bring them in line with international safety standards.
When Purchasing a Vehicle
Always remember to run a VINsmart report on any used vehicle before making a purchase. A VINsmart report runs a complete history on the vehicle including whether it has ever been reported as stolen, involved in a major accident, or listed as a totaled vehicle.
VINsmart reports will also give you a registration history and mileage at registration. It reports any significant incidents related to the vehicle, such as being involved in a fire or flood.
When purchasing a used vehicle, the best way to ensure you make a good purchase is to know the vehicle’s complete history.
