An industry overseer, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, recently named 115 cars that made their way to its Top Safety Picks list. The felicitation was given to the models for their class apart strong roof. This time, record vehicles were accredited at the event that included 69 cars, 38 SUVs, five minivans and three pickups.
There were 18 new models that managed to find a place in the coveted list, including best-selling vehicles in the United States viz. the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Honda Fit, Buick Verano, Toyota Prius V, Mercedes M-Class and BMW X3 also made it to the winners list. Besides 18 new entrants, 97 qualified winners of 2011 also emerged in the list for the consecutive year.
Toyota Motor Corporation's 15 models were included in the Top Safety Picks that were maximum by an auto maker. Steve St. Angelo, Executive Vice-President of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America said, "Safety is a core value that dates back to the foundation of our company. IIHS' awards further recognize our commitment to helping protect drivers and passengers."
General Motors Company closely followed Toyota with 14 winners, whereas the manufacturer that stood third was Volkswagen AG, registering 13 models. Ford Motor Company and Honda Motor Company grabbed 12 awards each. Chrysler-Fiat cars won 11 awards out of 115 winners. Subaru won five awards becoming the only auto maker to receive awards for all of its models produced in U.S.
Vehicles awarded have an excellent rollover protection, with their roofs twice as strong as the current federal standard. As per IIHS, such roofing reduces the risk of serious and fatal injuries by 50 per cent. Furthermore, these awards are also used as advertising and promotional tools by auto makers to influence buyers.
