IIHS Reveals the Safest Cars of 2020

If you’re in the market for a new vehicle in 2020, you have choices — and many of them. So, how do you know which car is the best? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is helping people make this decision with their newest TOP SAFETY PICK awards.

The IIHS qualified 64 cars and SUVs for an award under new criteria that prioritize both the vehicle’s occupants and the protection of pedestrians.

For vehicles to qualify for the TOP SAFETY PICK 2020 award or the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, they must make good ratings in IIHS’s six crashworthiness evaluations. They need to have available front crash prevention and acceptable or good headlights that earns superior or advanced ratings in both vehicle-to-pedestrian and vehicle-to-vehicle evaluations.

The “+” is awarded to vehicles that come solely with acceptable or good headlights, which makes it simpler for consumers to identify adequately equipped vehicles. Twenty-three of the 64 award winners qualify for the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.

Mazda earned five of these awards, which was the most out of all automakers, for the:

• Mazda 6
• Mazda 3 hatchback
• Mazda 3 sedan
• CX-3
• CX-5

In the category for TOP SAFETY PICK, the CX-9 wond Mazda one more award.

Hyundai Motor Group had the most overall winners, which included their Kia, Hyundai and Genesis brands. They had three that earned the TOP SAFETY PICK+ award and 14 that erned the TOP SAFETY PICK.

Six of the “+” winners only have good-rated headlights. These include:

• Honda Insight
• Genesis G70
• Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid
• Hyundai Nexo
• Tesla Model 3
• Lexus NX

Good visibility is essential to avoid accidents in the dark.

While consumers who purchase a TOP SAFETY PICK+ car can feel confident that any trim line they select will come equipped with proper headlights, they will still have to ensure their vehicle has front crash prevention. Cars can meet the requirements for front crash prevention with optional equipment.

But, 26 TOP SAFETY PICK winners and 20 TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners come with a standard system as vehicle makers start working to meet their voluntary automatic emergency braking (AEB) commitment. This commitment calls for AEB to be equipped in all vehicles by 2022 except for the heaviest passenger vehicles.

Also, another good idea is to install GPS tracking devices for cars to monitor driver speeds and other driving behaviors behind the wheel that could indicate impairments, be aggressive or cause accidents.

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