In December 2017, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released the safest 2018 car and SUV models. These awards highlight the safest up and coming car models that are going to release in the next year. While 47 cars earned the "Top Safety Pick Honor," only 15 cars earned the "Top Safety Pick Plus" title.

These are the models chosen for the Top Safety Pick Plus category:

Small Cars

1. 2018 Kia Forte
2. 2018 Kia Soul
3. 2018 Subaru Impreza
4. 2018 Subaru WRX

Midsize Cars

1. 2018 Subaru Legacy
2. 2018 Subaru Outback
3. 2018 Toyota Camry

Large Luxury Cars

1. 2018 BMW 5 Series
2. 2018 Genesis G80
3. 2018 Genesis G90
4. 2018 Lincoln Continental
5. 2018 Mercedes-Benz E Class Sedan

Midsize SUVs

1. 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe
2. 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

Midsize Luxury SUVs

1. 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC

The push to become known as one of the safest car makers in the business continues into 2018. The president of IIHS said car manufacturers now more than ever, "want to be known as leaders of safety." Additionally, the president said that these new vehicles are safer than ever before.

Rising Traffic Accidents Are Concern

However, the number of car crashes that occurred in 2016 saw an increase from previous years. The IIHS president believes distracted driving is a key component to the number of increased accidents on the road. Additionally, he believes the headlight function of many cars is not where it should be, leading to car crashes at night. Therefore, the IIHS has increased the parameters of the "Top Safety Pick Plus" category by requiring the plus category cars provide a "good" rating or above for headlight illumination.

Based on both the "Top Safety Pick Plus" and the "Top Safety Pick" category, the manufacturer with the most highly rated safety vehicles was Toyota, with 10 of their vehicles hitting the top of the safety pick charts. The second place manufacturer was Hyundai, with nine vehicles obtaining the safety designation. With safety features becoming a necessary part of car sales, it will be interesting to see how these ratings will compare to yearly accident reports involving the 2018 safety model picks.