The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is pushing automakers to improve their crash avoidance systems and demanding superior protection for back seat passengers in the 2026 award season.
Even with tougher rules, 63 vehicles qualify for IIHS awards so far. That is up from 48 at the same point last year. Of the winners, 45 earn a Top Safety Pick+ and 18 earn a Top Safety Pick.
“This year, we’re asking automakers to make excellent protection for back seat passengers the norm,” IIHS President David Harkey said. “For Top Safety Pick+, we’re requiring crash avoidance systems that are better at preventing pedestrian crashes as well as higher speed crashes with other vehicles.”
via Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)
