IIHS Names 2009 Top Safety Pick

June 23, 2008

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ARLINGTON, Va. — The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently announced that it has given the Top Safety Pick award to the 2009 Acura TSX.

The honor is distributed based on a vehicle offering superior overall crash protection in its class. Vehicles must receive Institute's top rating of "good" in all front, side and rear tests, in addition to featuring electronic stability control, to be eligible for the award.

According to officials, the 2009 TSX showed significant improvement from the previous model, jumping from acceptable to good in side tests and poor to good in rear tests.

"Criteria to win are tough because Top Safety Pick is intended to drive continued improvements such as top crash test ratings and rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard equipment on the TSX," explained Institute president Adrian Lund. "Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results."

He continued: "This is the third Acura and the eighth model from Honda to earn our top award. Frontal crashworthiness has improved dramatically for all cars in recent years, but there still are significant differences in how vehicles perform in our side and rear tests."

The 2004-08 models of the TSX received poor marks for seat/head restraints' protection during rear crashes. However, Honda redesigned the seats in the latest model to improve rear-crash protection and the ratings climbed once new tests were done.

"You don't know what kind of crash you're going to be in," Lund stated. "So it's important to choose a vehicle that will protect you in all kinds of crashes."

The Institute added a requirement for the Top Safety Pick award in 2007 — all winners must feature electronic stability control.

Essentially, if the safety function senses that a vehicle may be out of control, it is designed to engage automatically and steady the vehicle the vehicle toward its intended path, keeping the drivers in control of their vehicle during a shaky situation.

According to the Institute, ESC can reduce the rate of single-vehicle crash fatality by roughly 50 percent. Moreover, it can decrease the likelihood of a fatal rollover crash by as much as 80 percent.

For more information, visit www.iihs.org.

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