The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is getting tougher on automakers — again.

For the second consecutive year, the nonprofit vehicle safety watchdog organization has raised the requirements for its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards in 2024, challenging manufacturers to offer better protection for back-seat passengers and improve pedestrian crash avoidance systems.

“We followed the tougher requirements we introduced last year with another major update to the award criteria in 2024,” IIHS president David Harkey said. “This year’s winners are true standouts, offering the highest level of protection for both vehicle occupants and other vulnerable road users.”

Even with the higher standards in place, 22 models earned the Top Safety Pick+ distinction and 49 more were selected as Top Safety Picks. Hyundai Motor Group, which includes the Genesis, Hyundai and Kia brands, led all manufacturers with 16 awards – six Top Safety Pick+ models and 10 Top Safety Picks – followed by Toyota, which includes Toyota and Lexus, with 12 Top Safety Picks and one Top Safety Pick+.

Mazda earned five Top Safety Pick+ awards, the most of any brand.

IIHS said midsize luxury SUVs ranked as the safest segment, tying small SUVs and midsize SUVs with five Top Safety Pick+ selections and adding 12 Top Safety Picks.

“The high number of SUVs that earn awards probably reflects the dominance of those vehicles in the U.S. market,” Harkey said. “But it’s disappointing that only four pickups and four midsize cars earned awards, considering the popularity of those classes.”

The changes to the award criteria are designed to push automakers to pursue higher levels of safety, the institute said.

For 2023 vehicles, IIHS replaced its original side crash test with an updated version that uses a heavier barrier with the vehicle traveling at a higher speed, with a rating of acceptable or good qualifying for the Top Safety Pick award. This year, the acceptable rating is no longer enough.

Another test — the moderate front overlap evaluation — now includes a dummy in the back seat behind the driver and emphasizes back-seat safety. Vehicles now need an acceptable or good rating in that updated test, as well as a good rating in the original test without the additional dummy, to be a Top Safety Pick.

In addition, vehicles now need an acceptable or good rating in a revised version of the pedestrian front crash prevention evaluation that includes both day and night tests to qualify for both Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+. Previously vehicles could earn the lower-tier award even if they couldn’t detect and avoid pedestrians in the dark.

And the driver-side and passenger-side evaluations in the small overlap front crash test have been combined into a single rating. The test is performed on both sides, and the rating is now the lower of the two results. Award winners also must have good or acceptable headlights equipped on all trim levels.

“There’s still progress to be made in the protection vehicles provide for their occupants, as the introduction of the updated moderate overlap test shows,” Harkey said. “But many of the biggest gains of the future will come from automakers and policymakers, along with all of us as car buyers and drivers, taking steps to protect everyone on the road, not just our own families.”

The entire list of IIHS award winners can be found here.