Toyota Tops IIHS 2016 Top Safety Pick+ Awards

November 19, 2015

The safety of modern vehicles continues to improve, thanks to the ongoing research and development into both active and passive safety technologies being carried out all the time by the industry. But for the vast majority of consumers who are unlikely to be experts in advanced safety systems, there needs to be a scale or a benchmark for comparing models. A system of rating vehicle safety makes it easy to understand just how safe a particular vehicle is when compared to its rivals.



One of the most important bodies to produce such a rating is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and Toyota now leads the industry when it comes to its highest rating of Top Safety Pick+ for 2016.

 As the systems keeping us safe in our vehicles continue to develop and improve, it makes sense that the bar for testing is also raised. That's why the IIHS testing regime is now tougher than ever for 2016, which makes it all the more impressive for Toyota that it has more of its models getting that Top Safety Pick+ rating than any other manufacturer.

The Japanese auto giant has nine of its vehicles in total getting the highest rating from the IIHS this year, four of which are from the Toyota division, with the rest coming from its Lexus and Scion brands. The four Toyota models to gain 2016 Top Safety Pick+ ratings are: the Camry, the Prius v, the Avalon and the RAV4. Dino Triantafyllos, Toyota's North American Chief Quality Officer, said of the achievement, "At Toyota, we continue to focus on the safety and peace of mind of our customers. We are proud that IIHS has recognized our commitment to helping protect drivers and passengers."

 The IIHS has stated that all automakers were required to meet tougher criteria than in previous years to be considered for the latest 2016 awards. In its 2016 testing program, the IIHS commended the addition the automaker's pre-collision system to both the Avalon and the RAV4, which led to both models being rated as superior for front crash prevention. To attain a 2016 Top Safety Pick+ rating, a vehicle must achieve a top rating of "good" in the five different crashworthiness tests as well as gaining an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention. If a vehicle only gets a basic rating for front crash prevention, it gets the next rating down of Top Safety Pick, even if it has achieved the top rating of "Good" in all the other tests.

 As well as a large complement of driver and passenger airbags, there's also a long and impressive list of standard safety features on all four of Toyota models with Top Safety Pick+ status for 2016. Standard equipment on all four includes: ABS, emergency brake-assist, stability control, traction control, tire pressure monitoring, a rear view camera and more besides.