When it comes to making your next automobile purchase or lease, safety is undoubtedly at or near the top of the list. Traffic is worse than ever in many parts of the country and the risk of catastrophic injury is always present. Which vehicles are the safest, and how have they been determined as such? The personal injury team at Text Kevin Accident Attorneys takes a look at what the careful consumer needs to know.
Ideal Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
The IIHS is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission it is to reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage resulting from automobile accidents. A recognized leader in motor vehicle safety, the IIHS conducts research and makes recommendations based on a number of criteria mentioned below. It also works to educate consumers, policymakers, and safety professionals.
Each year, the IIHS releases its top choices for the safest vehicles. There are two separate categories of safety awards, Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+, with grades given out for various tests that measure crash results, crash prevention, and headlight safety. Those grades are Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor. The IIHS awards name the safest vehicles within size categories during a given year.
It is important to note that these awards take into account the fact that larger, heavier vehicles generally afford more protection than smaller, lighter ones. Therefore, a small car that wins a safety award may not protect its occupants as well as a larger vehicle, even if the bigger automobile did not win an award.
Five of the Safest Vehicles
Nearly 80 vehicles won Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ for 2024. Here, we will highlight five of them:
2024 Hyundai Elantra (Sedan)
This vehicle, in the Small Cars class, received a rating of “Good” (the top rating) for most crashworthiness measures and for headlights and front pedestrian crash prevention. Its seat belt and child restraint system was deemed “Acceptable,” just under “Good.”
2024 Honda Accord (Sedan)
Among Midsize Cars, the 2024 Honda Accord received the Top Safety Pick+ due to Good grades in crashworthiness and seat belts and child restraints.
The only other grade given was one Acceptable for its standard front pedestrian crash prevention system.
2024 Kia Sportage (SUV)
The Kia Sportage received good grades in crashworthiness and acceptable grades in two broad categories: crash avoidance and mitigation, seat belts, and child restraints. Several other safety features were noted, such as optional blind spot detection and standard lane departure warning and prevention.
2024 Mazda CX-90 (SUV)
Good grades were given across the board for this midsize SUV, except for an acceptable grade for one version of its headlights system. Again, several other safety features were noted.
2024 Toyota Sienna (Minivan)
Most grades for this minivan were Good. There was one Acceptable grade given for its standard front pedestrian crash prevention system. One “Marginal” grade, which is just below Acceptable, was handed out for a specific type of crashworthiness tests. All other crash test results were rated Good.
What Happens if Safety Features Fail?
Consumers should take comfort in knowing that there are plenty of safe options among several different vehicle classes. But what happens if someone gets into an accident and these safety features fail? Besides being able to file a claim against the negligent driver who caused the wreck, you may have one against the vehicle’s manufacturer.
When safety features either don’t work or end up making injuries even worse, victims can ask a court to order the vehicle manufacturer to pay damages. That’s because automobile makers can be held liable for designing and marketing dangerous and defective products, including safety features that fail or aggravate victims’ injuries.
If you have been in an automobile wreck in California and want to know your legal options, we encourage you to contact Text Kevin Accident Attorneys. We’re ready to get started on your case today.
