Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) News

Study: SUVs, Pickups Hit Pedestrians More Often Than Cars Do

Drivers of bigger vehicles such as pickup trucks and SUVs are more likely to hit pedestrians while making turns than drivers of cars, according to a new study. The research released Thursday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety points …

Consumer Reports, Insurance Safety Institute to Rate Vehicle Driver Automation Systems

Two nonprofit bodies, Consumer Reports and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), said separately on Thursday they are reviewing safeguards put in place by automakers for vehicles with partial automation. The announcements come amid scrutiny of Tesla’s driver assistance …

Teen Drivers Might Benefit Most From Assisted Driving Technology: IIHS

Crash avoidance features and teen-specific vehicle technologies have the potential to prevent or mitigate up to three-quarters of fatal crashes involving teen drivers, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows. “We know these technologies don’t stop 100 …

Studies Find Crash Rates Rise When States Legalize Marijuana; Suggest Link to Alcohol

Researchers report increasing evidence is that motor vehicle crash rates rise when states legalize recreational use and retail sales of marijuana, although what effects marijuana by itself has on drivers remains unclear. Crash rates spiked with the legalization of recreational …

Tesla Loses Top Safety Rankings From IIHS, Consumer Reports

Two key groups that offer automobile safety ratings are yanking their top endorsements from some Tesla vehicles because the company has stopped using radar on its safety systems. Consumer Reports pulled its “Top Pick” status for Tesla’s Model 3 and …

Smaller Cars May Be Why Women Are More Likely to Suffer Serious Crash Injuries

The smaller, lighter vehicles that women more often drive, and the types of crashes they get into, may explain why they are much more likely to suffer a serious injury in a collision than men, a new study published Thursday …

Insurance Group Says Safety Technologies Could Stop 40% of Big Truck Rear Crashes

Safety features such as automatic emergency braking and forward collision warnings could prevent more than 40% of crashes in which semis rear-end other vehicles, a new study has found. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, a research group supported by …

SUVs More Deadly to Pedestrians Than Passenger Cars, Insurance Study Says

SUVs are more likely than passenger cars to injure or kill pedestrians, according to a new U.S. insurance industry study which recommended design changes to improve safety. Sport utility vehicles “seem to be more deadly to pedestrians than cars are,” …

Autonomous Car Makers Dispute Insurance Study’s Low Estimate of Crashes

Companies working on self-driving vehicles have criticized an insurance industry study suggesting that only a third of all U.S. road crashes could be prevented by driverless cars, arguing that the study has underestimated the technology’s capabilities. The study by the …

Science, Enforcement Lag as Car Accidents, Claims Rise in Legal Cannabis States

Car crashes in the first three states to legalize recreational marijuana have soared as law enforcement and regulators struggle to define driving high, let alone determine how to fight it. Colorado, Oregon, and Washington saw a combined 5.2% increase in …