Five Ford Vehicles Get IIHS Top Safety Picks

American manufacturer Ford announced today that five of its 2010 MY vehicles received Top Safety Picks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The models in question are the Ford Flex, Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ, Lincoln MKT and Mercury Milan.

As a result, Ford now has eleven IIHS Top Safety Pick ratings for 2010 model vehicles, which reportedly is more than any other automaker.

High-strength steels, including low-alloy, dual-phase and boron steel in the A- and B-pillars, roof headers and bows, rocker panels and rocker baffles, are among the features that helped the vehicles perform well in IIHS testing.

“Leading the industry in both Top Safety Pick ratings and government five-star crash test ratings is very significant because customers increasingly consider IIHS and NHTSA ratings when choosing a new vehicle,” said Sue Cischke, Ford’s group VP of Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering, in a release. “These latest test results further demonstrate Ford’s commitment to continuous improvement on the safety front.”

According to the IIHS new standards, to qualify for the Top Safety Pick a vehicle must earn the highest rating of good in front, side, rear, and rollover tests and must be equipped with electronic stability control.

The vehicles use the company’s energy absorbing Trinity Front Crash Body Architecture and Ford’s Side Protection And Cabin Enhancement (SPACE) Architecture, used to optimize side-impact occupant protection.

“Ford’s use of high- and ultra-high-strength steels in our vehicles complements our development of advanced crash protection and crash avoidance technologies,” added Cischke. “With each new model year, we’re raising the bar on vehicle safety.”