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Subaru lineup lauded for safety
The new 2008 Subaru Impreza became the first vehicle ever to be named a Top Safety Pick in the Small Car category after crash testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Leisure
Dec 03, 2007 11:49 AM
By: ROBINSON/BEINTEMA AUTOFILES
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has named its Top Safety Pick award winners for 2008, recognizing vehicles that do the best job of protecting people in front, side, and rear crashes based on ratings in the Institute's tests. The 2008 Subaru Legacy (Midsize Car), Forester (Small SUV), and Tribeca (Midsize SUV) were all Top Safety Picks in their respective categories when equipped with electronic stability control (ESC).
The new 2008 Subaru Impreza became the first vehicle ever to be named a Top Safety Pick in the Small Car category, also when equipped with optional stability control. Winning vehicles must be equipped with ESC, which can help drivers avoid crashes altogether by allowing them to maintain control during emergency maneuvers when their vehicles otherwise might spin out.
"Vehicles should provide good occupant protection when crashes occur, but now with ESC we have the possibility of preventing many crashes altogether," said Institute President Adrian Lund. "If all vehicles were equipped with ESC, as many as 10,000 fatal crashes could be avoided each year."
“Active safety – the ability to avoid a collision – has always been a crucial part of the design of every vehicle in the Subaru lineup,” said Katsuhiro Yokoyama, president, chairman and CEO of SCI. “We are delighted with this independent validation of the success of our efforts to protect our drivers and their passengers.”
For more information on the IIHS and the procedures it uses to evaluate vehicle safety, visit their website at www.iihs.org.