The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is responsible for crash-testing new vehicle models and reporting the results to help consumers make safer vehicle choices. Models that score exceptionally well in IIHS crash tests are given a “Top Safety Pick” award for their impact performance. It’s a designation which indicates a car, truck or SUV that goes above and beyond when it comes to occupant protection.

In light of recent testing of their 2009 models, it’s Ford Motor Company that’s earned more Top Safety Pick ratings form the institute than any other automaker, with a total of 16 vehicles to date.
Achieving the “Top Safety Pick” rating requires a vehicle to achieve top marks in front, side and rear impact testing, while also being sold with standard electronic stability control to help prevent a crash from occurring in the first place.

Most recently, the 2009 Ford Flex and Fusion models earned the rating from the IIHS, as did the Lincoln MKS and Mercury Milan.  Other winners included Taurus, Fusion, Edge, Escape, Mariner and the F-150 truck.  Ford partly credits extensive use of ultra-high strength boron steel in their B-Pillar for side impact protection.

The institute said the larger number of Top Safety Picks was largely a consequence of the widespread adoption of electronic stability control, which the government has required for vehicles by the 2012 model year. The feature senses when a driver is about to lose control and helps the vehicle stabilize and avoid skidding or rolling over.
At Ford, officials and employees were celebrating the news of their top safety performance.
“We want to set ourselves apart from the other American companies,” Steve Kozak, Ford’s safety chief engineer, told the Free Press on Monday. “We’re ready and able to compete head-to-head with the Japanese.”

Last month, Ford also won accolades from Consumer Reports for the high quality of its vehicles, which the trusted magazine said are now on par with those being produced by Toyota and Honda Motor Co.
The team engineers a variety of safety technologies, such as Ford’s smart Personal Safety System, which deploys air bags based on the weight of passengers and the severity of the crash, among other factors.
“We’re doing our part to help Ford succeed,” Kozak said. “We just need to get past the downturn in the economy, and we need to get past the perception that the public has about Ford Motor Co.”
With so many notable safety features in a wide array of models to choose from, now would be a good time to stop by your Ford Dealer and take a look at this impressive lineup.