Automobiles — whether economy cars or the top luxury models — are rapidly becoming safer to drive, an insurance industry trade group said.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released its Top Safety Pick ratings for the 2011 model year Tuesday, saying 66 vehicles, including 40 cars and 25 sport utility vehicles, earned the group's highest safety ranking.
That's more than double the 27 vehicles that achieved the group's top safety grade at the start of this year. Big improvements to roofs to protect passengers in rollover accidents contributed to a greater number of vehicles' achieving better rankings.
"That gives consumers shopping for a safer new car or SUV plenty of choices to consider in most dealer showrooms," said Adrian Lund, the institute's president. "In fact, every major automaker has at least one winning model this year."
More autos are achieving the highest rating because better safety equipment is increasingly standard, Lund said. The insurance industry-funded trade group said 92% of 2011 model year cars, 94% of SUVs and 56% of pickup trucks now have standard head and torso side airbags. Electronic stability control is standard on 92% of 2011 cars, all SUVs and 72% of pickups.
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