Toyota scores two awards for safety excellence

Last year, it seemed uncertain if Toyota Motor Corporation would survive all of the controversy stemming from the Takata airbag recall after the highly publicized sudden acceleration problems that plagued Camrys and Lexus ES models years before. Fast forward to September 2015, and Toyota has scored two major victories.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named two Toyota vehicles, the Lexus ES and the Scion iA, were recently named IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus. This honor is bestowed to vehicles that receive at least a “good” rating on all the crash tests the IIHS performs. These include side impact tests, rear end crash simulations, overlap crash tests, and several others.

The IIHS crash tests are notoriously more stringent than other federal crash tests; which is why manufacturers look to these crash tests to make improvements when they do not achieve satisfactory marks.

With the two models honored this year, the Lexus ES was recognized for its impact test performances as well as its upgraded crash avoidance systems; which performed admirably at 12 miles per hour and 25 mile per hour tests. The Scion iA was noted as the least expensive model available in U.S. markets with a crash avoidance system standard.

While these honors suggest that consumers who purchase them may be less likely to be in an accident, or lose their lives in one, drivers must still use reasonable care while behind the wheel. If a driver fails to use such care and causes an accident, he or she could be held liable.