CHERRY HILL, N.J. – Subaru was a big winner with this year’s Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awards, as the 2007 Subaru Legacy, Forester, and Tribeca earned the “Top Safety Pick” designation. These three Subaru models, with available Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), were among 10 other 2007 “Top Safety Picks” in the industry, but Subaru had the most IIHS “Top Safety Pick” designations of any single automotive brand. The IIHS “Top Safety Pick” award recognizes vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes based on ratings in IIHS tests. The Institute rates vehicles good, acceptable, marginal, or poor, based on performance in high-speed front and side crash tests plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts. The first requirement for a vehicle to become a “Top Safety Pick” is to earn good ratings in all three IIHS tests. Vehicles eligible to win included current small, mid-size, and large car models plus minivans and small and mid-size SUVs. Winners also were required to be equipped with electronic stability control (ESC). Subaru calls its electronic stability control Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control or VDC. Subaru VDC monitors vehicle stability by continually measuring inputs including steering angle, lateral-g, yaw rate, and individual wheel speed. Using this data, VDC can compare the driver’s intended path to the vehicle’s actual path. Working with Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive and ABS, VDC can correct understeer, oversteer, drift conditions, and wheel slip. On all 2007 Subaru models, the standard 4-channel/4-sensor ABS incorporates electronic brake-force distribution. This system enhances braking performance and stability by actively optimizing braking force between the front and rear wheels according to how the vehicle is loaded with passengers and cargo. All 2007 Subaru models also incorporate electrically triggered pre-tensioners and force limiters in the front three-point seatbelts and the Subaru Advanced Frontal Airbag System. All Forester and Impreza models for 2007 feature standard front seat head/chest side-impact airbags. The Legacy and Outback models come equipped with front-seat side-impact airbags for thorax and pelvic-area protection and side curtain airbags (full side coverage) for head protection. The Tribeca is equipped with front-seat side-impact airbags for thorax-area protection and side-curtain airbags for the front and middle rows. Mounted in the upper sides of the front seatbacks, the front-seat side-impact airbags offer protection regardless of seat position. The side-curtain airbags deploy from the headliner.