MENU
SEARCHThe Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is implementing stricter standards in 2020 for vehicles to earn its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has raised the bar for its Top Safety Pick awards for 2020.
Photo courtesy of IIHS.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is implementing stricter standards in 2020 for vehicles to earn its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards.
To capture the highest plus status in 2020, vehicles will need good or acceptable headlights to be standard equipment as opposed to the current criteria of a good rating, be it on standard or optional headlights.
In order to earn a Top Safety Pick+ or a Top Safety Pick award, front crash prevention that earns at least an advanced rating in both the vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations must be available. Under the current criteria, only the vehicle-to-vehicle rating is required.
The awards will also require good crashworthiness ratings in six rigorous tests including the passenger-side small overlap front test. For 2019, an acceptable rating in the passenger-side test was sufficient for a vehicle to qualify for the Top Safety Pick award.
The goal of the changes in the evaluation process is to stop manufacturers from equipping vehciles with inferior headlights and also to speed the adoption of technology that helps protect pedestrians.
When IIHS launched its headlight ratings in 2016, only three out of 224 evaluated earned a good rating. In 2019, 68 out of 465 systems evaluated were rated good, and 103 were rated acceptable.
The concern, notes IIHS, is that while things have improved, far too many of the good- or acceptable-rated headlights are available only as part of optional packages or on higher trim levels.
The new 2020 criteria for earning the highest safety award directly addresses this problem.
Distracted driving remains one of the most persistent risks in fleet operations. New approaches focus on removing mobile device use entirely while adding real-time safety support.
Read More →
As distraction risks evolve, fleets are turning to smarter, more connected technologies to better understand what’s happening behind the wheel. Part 2 explores how these tools are helping identify risky behaviors and improve visibility across operations.
Read More →
What fleets capture to improve safety can also expose them in litigation, forcing leaders to rethink how data is managed, stored, and shared.
Read More →
Distracted driving is often measured by what we can see—phones in hand, eyes off the road. But what about the distractions we can’t? A recent incident raises a bigger question about awareness, attention, and why subtle risks so often go unnoticed.
Read More →
While serious crashes are declining, a rise in minor incidents and ongoing risk hotspots underscore the need for continued fleet safety investment.
Read More →
Fleets have more driver data than ever, so why isn't behavior changing? Training requires more than reports and coaching — it requires real-world practice.
Read More →
A two-part conversation with Stefan Heck on how AI is transforming the fight against distracted driving. As fleets adopt smarter tools, the focus shifts from reacting to preventing risk. In Part 1, we look at where AI is making an impact for fleets today.
Read More →
More people on foot means more risk for drivers. These pedestrian safety tips can help prevent serious injuries and keep everyone safer on the road.
Read More →
Safer crews. Fewer incidents. Better uptime. Learn how driver-assist technology is changing the way vocational fleets operate.
Read More →
An 11% drop in pedestrian fatalities in early 2025 signals progress in U.S. road safety, but elevated death rates and ongoing risks underscore the need for continued action from fleets and policymakers.
Read More →
