IIHS News

Autobrake Performance Dips After Sundown

A nighttime test of pedestrian automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems to address the high percentage of pedestrian crashes that occur on dark roads has been introduced by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Four of the first 23 midsize …

North Carolina Weakened Building Codes in 2013

Five years ago, encouraged by home builders and an anti-regulatory zeal, lawmakers in North Carolina joined other states in weakening building code requirements. It’s a decision they may regret as Hurricane Florence takes aim at the Carolinas. The Legislature in …

IIHS Tests Finds Flaws With Electronic Car Safety Systems

Cars and trucks with electronic driver assist systems may not see stopped vehicles and could even steer you into a crash if you’re not paying attention, an insurance industry group warns. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in a paper …

IIHS: Volvo Tech May Have Prevented Uber Death

The Uber Technologies Inc. self-driving test vehicle that killed a pedestrian in Arizona earlier this year may have been able to avoid the crash had the ride-hailing company not disabled Volvo Cars’s safety system, according to a safety group. In …

Trump Links Better Gas Mileage to Increased Crash Risk for Drivers

The Trump administration says people would drive more and be exposed to increased risk if their cars get better gas mileage, an argument intended to justify freezing Obama-era toughening of fuel standards. Transportation experts dispute the arguments, contained in a …

Today is the Deadliest Day of the Year for Car Wrecks in the U.S.

It’s not Super Bowl Sunday or even New Year’s Eve that makes for the most lethal day on U.S. highways. It’s Aug. 2. Thursday is when, on average, car wrecks are likely to kill more Americans than any other day …

Latest Helmets Could Reduce Bicyclists’ Injury Risk

The next time you hop on a bicycle to head across town, consider this: your helmet may not perform well enough in an accident. A first-of-its-kind study using the latest techniques for simulating head injuries found significant variations in how …

Wisconsin Reports Increase in Pedestrian Deaths

Wisconsin transportation officials are growing concerned about risky behavior by drivers and pedestrians as the number of pedestrian fatalities increased last year, mirroring a national trend. The state saw almost 60 pedestrian deaths in 2017, compared with about 50 in …

IIHS’ New Rear Crash Prevention Ratings Aimed at Reducing Parking Lot Collisions

Parking crashes usually don’t result in serious injuries, but repair costs can quickly mount, along with the hassle of going without the family vehicle while waiting for the body shop to finish work. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has …

Florida Considers Texting Ban to Counter Road Deaths

Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Wysocky says it is hard to separate texting drivers from drunken drivers as he cruises down a suburban interstate highway. Both weave. They speed up and slow down for no obvious reason and get too …