The latest vehicle to get the Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is the Tesla Model Y. The only other Tesla vehicle that was awarded IIHS’ Top Safety Pick+ status was the 2019–2020 Model 3. The Model Y has also been given a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
To qualify for Top Safety Pick+, a vehicle needs three things, the IIHS has decided. First, it needs to have scored the top Good rating on a number of crash tests, including: driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, original side, roof strength, and head restraint tests. Second, it needs to have been given either an Advanced or Superior rating for available front crash prevention, including vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian evaluations. The Model Y managed to get Superior, despite Tesla’s using a camera-only system for its front sensor suite. Third, the headlights need to be considered either Acceptable or Good—and they must be standard equipment. The slightly lower Top Safety Pick rating category is exactly the same as TSP+, but with optional Acceptable or Good headlights.
For the full story, check out this article from Car And Driver.
