OHIO — The annual list of the safest vehicles by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
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Each year, they test cars to find the safest on the market. IIHS says that 71 vehicles earned their top safety pick.
News Center 7 Consumer Reporter Xavier Hershovitz is breaking down those numbers LIVE this morning on News Center 7′s Daybreak.
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He says each year that the IIHS tries to raise the bar on safety standards.
So, when you look to buy a new car, you are looking to get a vehicle that is safer for you and your family than the one you had before.
Hershovitz reports that the agency focuses on two main areas for vehicles to receive those high marks:
- The safety of passengers in the back seat.
- How well the vehicles could detect and avoid pedestrians in the dark.
The Ford Explorer was the only model from the Big Three U.S. Automakers to make the grade.
“That continues to be a struggle and disappointment,” said David Harkey, IIHS President. “When we look at this list, we’re not seeing a lot of domestic automakers on there.”
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Hershovitz says it gets harder each year for a vehicle to earn a top safety rating.
Hyundai Motor Group, which includes the Genesis and Kia brands, led with 16 top safety awards.
Toyota, which also owns Lexus, followed with 13 awards.
Mazda earned six.
“We’ve done a really good job at getting the automakers to improve their front crash prevention systems, both for vehicle to vehicle and for vehicle to pedestrian,” said Harkey. “They’re really making good strides in that area.”
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Hershovitz says one of the improvements that the IIHS wants to see is better head restraints to prevent whiplash injuries.
To see the full list, visit this website.