IIHS Names Safest Cars, SUVs

BOSTON (CBS) - The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the top vehicles offering excellent crash protection.

The experts at the IIHS tested more than 190 vehicles in a series of crash tests.

This year, 71 models received one of the two highest ratings: Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick Plus.

In order to make those lists, each vehicle had to perform well in five specific tests measuring everything from roof strength to how well the seats protect you, if you get rear-ended.

The newest test is called the "small overlap frontal crash test." It re-creates what happens when the front corner of a vehicle clips another auto or a smaller object, like a tree or a utility pole.

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