organizationAutomotive Safety / Nonprofit ResearchUSA

IIHS

An independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing motor vehicle crash deaths, injuries, and property damage.

Founded in 1959, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization. It is funded by auto insurers, a model intended to maintain independence from government and vehicle manufacturers while evaluating the automotive industry.

The organization is primarily known for its vehicle crashworthiness research and crash test program conducted at the Vehicle Research Center in Ruckersville, Virginia. Its evaluations cover crashworthiness, headlight testing, and crash avoidance/front-crash-prevention performance. The IIHS issues the Top Safety Pick (TSP) and Top Safety Pick+ recognitions, which serve as industry benchmarks for vehicle safety.

Working alongside its sister organization, the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), the IIHS combines physical crash testing with the statistical analysis of insurance loss data. This integrated approach allows them to study the real-world effects of safety technologies, such as forward collision warning and electronic stability control, to influence highway safety policy and vehicle design.

Ideas that could help IIHS

V2X-Preemptive Braking Module
A vehicle safety upgrade that triggers a 'partial brake' based on V2X communication to slow vehicles down before onboard sensors can even see an occluded hazard.
Why it helps: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety can use this capability to set new safety rating standards for non-line-of-sight collision avoidance.