BMW's 2019 3 Series Named Top Safety Pick+

The 2019 BMW 3 Series has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick+ award when the sedan is equipped with specific headlights. This latest honor means BMW has now earned five 2019 safety awards from the institute.

The 2019 3 Series was put through the paces of six rigorous crashworthiness tests — earning good ratings across the board, a requirement in order to garner a Top Safety Pick+. The evaluations included driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head-restraint tests.

In addition, to capture the institute's highest safety status, vehicles must score an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention and a good headlight rating.

The 3 Series sedan met the criterion, earning a superior rating for its standard and optional front crash prevention systems. The systems avoided crashes in 12 mph and 25 mph track tests, according to the institute.

While the midsize luxury car is available with three headlight options that offer a range of performance, it is the optional curve-adaptive headlights that come with the Executive package that garner a good rating — giving the car the final element needed to take home the award.

This headlight option also features high beam assist, which automatically switches between high beams and low beams, depending on the presence of other vehicles.