The U.S. government and private auto-safety raters made evident this week how tougher standards are moving beyond crash tests that just measure passenger protection. Now, they're evaluating systems that can avoid accidents altogether.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Thursday that 48 vehicles earned its highest rating of "Top Safety Cars."
Toyota, Honda and Subaru are the winners, with 23 combined. Volkswagen and its luxury brand, Audi, had seven winners. Volvo, Hyundai and Mazda each had multiple winners. The Chrysler 200 was the only domestic car to earn the designation.
To get the best rating, a vehicle must not only score well in crash tests but also include well-rated accident-avoidance technology, such as automatic braking.
Recommendations from the safety group, which is funded by the insurance industry, are closely followed by car shoppers and automakers alike. They also provide a glimpse of the future as the criteria include elements that U.S. safety regulators announced this week they want to add to their ratings.
The top-pick designation “demonstrates Volkswagen’s longstanding commitment to vehicle safety and the development of innovative technologies,” Mark McNabb, chief operating officer of Volkswagen of America, Inc., said in the statement. The car’s technology is “unique to the segment and not typically seen outside the luxury market,” McNabb said.
