Despite tougher-than-ever criteria, 48 car models earned the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Since 1959, the IIHS has been testing which cars are tops when it comes to safety.
The TOP SAFETY PICK+ accolade was introduced in 2012 to recognize vehicles that offer an advanced level of safety. Last year, only 33 models made the cut.
This year’s criteria were tougher than ever. For the first time, a good rating in the challenging small overlap front crash test was a requirement to being named a TOP SAFETY PICK+. The vehicles also needed to earn good ratings in three other categories—moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests—and an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.
Buying a new car in 2016—or just curious to see which cars made the cut? Learn more about the selection process by watching the video above—then check out the final list by reading the source article at iihs.org.