IIHS 2017 Safety Picks: Midsize Cars

By Darwin F. Johnson on February 9th, 2017 in Atlanta Accident Law

2017 is here, and so are the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) picks for the safest cars to hit American roadways this year. IIHS is one of a few leading institutes to track vehicle safety—think of those crash tests you see on T.V.  

While they report on all types of vehicles, from minicars to large pickups, large luxury cars, midsize SUVs and everything in between, today we’ll highlight just one of those vehicle classes—one of the most common seen on Georgia’s roads: the Midsize cars class. Namely, we’ll review a few of their TSP+ midsize cars, or Top Safety Picks Plus (IIHS’ highest ranking).

I’m best known as workman comp lawyer in Atlanta, but I also devote equal time to representing automobile accident victims. With that said, I want everyone to be as safe as can be on the roadways, so without further ado, here are three of IIHS’ 2017 TSP+ safety picks:

Chevrolet Volt

The 2017 Chevy Volt received all Good ratings across the board for crashworthiness, withstanding impacts from every angle. Its front crash prevention was rated Superior, and its headlights earned a Good. On the downside, the child seat anchor ease of use received a Marginal grade.

Hyundai Elantra

The 2017 Elantra from Hyundai received exceptional grades from the IIHS. This includes all Good ratings for crashworthiness, like small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof, and head restraints & seats. The vehicle also earned Superior front crash prevention (on upgraded models), and a Good headlight rating. The only area in which the Elantra did not get the highest possible grade was the child seat anchors ease of use, which earned an Acceptable rating.

Toyota Prius Prime

The Prius Prime received the exact same ratings as the Elantra, almost to a T. All Good and Superior across the board, with the exception of one area: the headlights, which earned an Acceptable rating. 2017 panned out to be the year of the headlights for the IIHS, and that element was heavily weighted in their ratings. This goes to show that if in 2018 carmakers want to earn higher ratings, they’re going to have to equip their cars with better headlights.

All in all, it’s good to see so many safe vehicles out there, but accidents do happen. If you need an auto accident or workers’ comp lawyer in Atlanta, I’ll be happy to give you a complimentary consultation. Stay safe out there!