The 2024 Tesla Model Y has once again secured the prestigious Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), continuing its legacy of excellence in vehicle safety. The midsize luxury SUV has demonstrated outstanding performance across various safety tests, affirming its position as a leader in automotive safety.
“We followed the tougher requirements we introduced last year with another major update to the award criteria in 2024,” said IIHS President David Harkey, in a statement. “This year’s winners are true standouts, offering the highest level of protection for both vehicle occupants and other vulnerable road users.”
Crashworthiness and Crash Avoidance Highlights
The IIHS’s rigorous testing regimen includes evaluations of crashworthiness and crash avoidance capabilities. The Tesla Model Y excelled in these areas, earning a ‘Good’ rating—the highest possible—in all tested categories. These categories encompass small and moderate overlap front tests, side impact tests, roof strength, and head restraint tests, among others.
Notably, the Model Y’s performance in the small overlap front test, which assesses the impact on the driver and passenger sides, was particularly commendable. Both sides received a ‘Good’ rating (the best possible score), indicating a well-maintained survival space for the dummy, effective airbag deployment, and low risk of significant injuries.
Advanced Safety Features and Lighting
The vehicle’s advanced safety features also contributed to its top-tier rating. Standard equipment includes automatic emergency braking, which demonstrated superior pedestrian detection and avoidance capabilities in both daylight and nighttime conditions. The Model Y’s LED projector headlights were praised for their illumination quality, ensuring optimal visibility without causing glare to oncoming traffic.
Child Seat Anchors and Ease of Use
The LATCH system for child seat anchors in the Tesla Model Y was rated ‘Acceptable’, highlighting the ease of use and accessibility of the anchors. This rating reflects the vehicle’s commitment to accommodating families and enhancing safety for younger passengers.
The 2024 Tesla Model Y’s achievement of the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award underscores Tesla’s ongoing commitment to vehicle safety. With top marks in crashworthiness, crash avoidance, and pedestrian protection, the Model Y sets a high standard for the midsize luxury SUV segment, yet again. Not only is the Model Y the best-selling car in the world it’s also rated as one of the safest on the road.
“We engineer our vehicles to be the safest in the world. With an extremely low chance of roll-over and occupant injury, Model Y receives some of the highest possible safety ratings,” explains Tesla’s website.
Other mid-size luxury SUVs with safety ratings in the same category (but not the same near-perfect score) as the Model Y include the Acura MDX, BMW X3, Genesis GV80 (built after Aug 2023), and the Mercedes GLE Class (with optional front crash prevention).
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