Insurance Institute For Highway Safety Gives 64 Vehicles Top Safety Pick Award

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Are you in the market for a new car?

If so, safety is usually of chief concern when purchasing. Certain automakers have earned top honors from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

In order to be a top safety pick, vehicles must perform well in six separate crash tests.

The IIHS also measures aspects such as roof strength, the visibility provided by headlights, and more.

As of this year, 64 vehicles have been chosen for a top safety pick award, an increase of seven from last year.

"It's an encouraging sign, especially since we raised the bar a little bit this year," said IIHS President David Harkey.

Harkey said vehicles had to meet a higher standard in crash tests this year and even still, 23 vehicles were given the highest honor of top safety pick plus.

A new requirement was being equipped with pedestrian detection systems.

Mazda took home the most safety pick plus awards with five.

The only American car company to take home an award was Cadillac.

"I do think vehicles are as safe as we've ever seen them," said Harkey. "One of the things we would like to see more improvement on is headlights."

In Harkey's ideal world, top-performing headlights would become standard on all vehicles, which would give drivers a better chance at accident avoidance.

To see the full report of cars that won top safety awards, head to the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety's website.