Despite our best efforts, accidents happen. The vehicle you drive could be the first line of defense in the event of a motor vehicle accident. While protecting damage to your car is important, it’s even more vital to protect the people inside.
Here are some of the top-rated vehicles for safety during an accident in 2021.
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Safety Criteria
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) uses the following metrics when awarding vehicles with the Top Safety Pick + distinction:
- driver and passenger-side small overlap front
- side strength
- roof strength
- head restraint tests
- acceptable to good headlight standards
- advanced to superior front crash prevention
- vehicle-to-vehicle evaluations
- vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations.
Choosing a vehicle that’s designated with the Top Safety Pick + rating is crucial for those living in cities with rising accident rates. For example, Houston, Texas collisions have increased 7% since 2014 (source: https://attorneybrianwhite.com/houston-car-accident-attorney/).
Here are some of the top-rated vehicles by the IIHS for 2021.
2021 Honda Insight
Honda has long been known for its world-class safety ratings. The 2021 Honda Insight is one of the top-rated cars of 2021, with high rankings in all the criteria mentioned above.
In addition to the basic model having a high ranking, there are numerous upgrades available to improve the safety rating even further. The 2021 Honda Insight comes with optional blindspot detection and lane departure warning and prevention.
The 2021 Honda Civic also received high safety ratings for both the sedan and hatchback models. These features make the Honda line-up a great safety choice.
2021 Mazda 3
Both the 2021 Mazda 3 Hatchback and Sedan models received the Top Safety Pick + rankings for the year. Compared to other cars, the Mazda 3 goes above and beyond for crash prevention, both in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations.
One red flag with both models of the 2021 Mazda 3 is the headlight trim option. One of the options detracts from the clarity and brightness of the headlights and slightly impedes visibility. This option is still deemed acceptable within the performance criteria but falls short of the good rating.
2021 Toyota Camry
The Toyota car line has long been a recipient of top safety ratings, often viewed as one of the safest options on the road. After the massive recall in 2010 as a result of a gas pedal malfunction, Toyota had to work hard to earn the trust of consumers back. However, their continued dedication to improvement and innovation in safety has made that possible.
The 2021 Toyota Camry received top marks for all the measurement criteria. Like the Mazda 3, some headlight trim options impede the clarity and have a moderately lower rating. The 2021 Toyota Corolla also ranked high on the list for vehicle safety, though it falls short of the plus distinction.
2021 Ford Explorer
The 2021 Ford Explorer is one of the top rated SUV options for safety. While it meets the standards for the Top Safety Pick + rating, some features have lower rankings than the other vehicles on this list. The headlights and LATCH ease-of-use for child seats have an acceptable rating. The standard model of the 2021 Ford Explorer has a superior rating for the vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention, while certain upgrades lower that rating to advanced.
Many of Ford’s other SUV models have high safety ratings as well, including the Ford Edge and Ford Escape.
Your vehicle’s insurance policy will protect your investment in the event of a motor vehicle accident. However, choosing a vehicle with higher safety ratings will help protect yourself and your loved ones. Shop wisely when buying a car in 2021.
