Doubling the number of vehicles earning the award last year, The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named 66 vehicles as 'Top Safety Pick Winners' in 2010. This has obvious implications in both the legal and economic spheres as safer cars are less likely to lead to recall and product liability issues for makers and because safety ratings can be a strong component of buyers' purchasing decisions, particularly for family vehicles.
While one could argue that less prestigious awards seldom drive behavior, it appears that the cache of the IIHS award has indeed stimulated efforts to increase safety; after an addition of roof ratings last year dropped the Top Winner list to 27 from 72, automakers focused on making improvements in an attempt to regain spots on the 2010 list. A full list of winners can be found here.
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