Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

What Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization founded in 1959 and wholly supported by auto insurers and insurance associations representing more than 85% of the U.S. private passenger vehicle insurance market. IIHS conducts vehicle safety research and evaluation through its Vehicle Research Center (VRC) in Ruckersville, Virginia, performing crashworthiness tests (moderate overlap front, small overlap front, side crash, roof strength, head restraints) and crash avoidance evaluations (front crash prevention with vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian detection, lane departure prevention, headlight performance, blind spot detection, LATCH ease of use, rear crash prevention, and partial automation safeguards). The organization issues Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards, evaluates over 100 vehicle models annually, and publishes crash test protocols, research papers, and consumer guides. Its wholly-owned affiliate, the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), operates the world's largest repository of vehicle-specific insurance loss data, covering six coverage types across U.S. and Canadian vehicles.

IIHS generates revenue entirely through member contributions from auto insurers and insurance associations, with cumulative funding of approximately $600 million from 1999 to 2024. All vehicle safety ratings, research publications, educational guides, and policy calculators are provided free of charge to consumers, automakers, policymakers, and safety professionals. The organization distributes its products through iihs.org, social media platforms (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok), news releases, and industry conferences. Member insurers receive access to proprietary insurance loss statistics and HLDI research publications for underwriting and product decisions. Additional distribution channels include an annual collaboration with Consumer Reports for teen vehicle recommendations and research partnerships with universities including CHOP, University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, and University of Virginia.

IIHS research has directly influenced major federal vehicle safety regulations, including airbag requirements, electronic stability control mandates, and the 2015 voluntary commitment by automakers representing 99%+ of U.S. light vehicle sales to make automatic emergency braking standard. Recent product expansions include the partial automation safeguard ratings program, the 2024 update to the vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluation (incorporating motorcycle and semitrailer targets), and the June 2026 launch of a commercial vehicle safety program. The organization launched the 30x30 initiative in 2025 with the goal of reducing U.S. roadway fatalities 30% by 2030. Independent estimates attribute approximately 48,352 lives saved and $538 billion in societal cost savings to crashworthiness improvements driven by IIHS ratings from 1999 to 2024, representing a near 900-fold return on member insurer investment.

Name

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Legal name

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Website

https://iihs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1959 that conducts independent vehicle crash testing, safety ratings, and insurance loss data research through its Vehicle Research Center, funded by auto insurers representing over 85% of the U.S. market.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive Safety Testing and Research

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Loss Control & Safety Engineering (Driver Training, Policy/Program Design, Audits) (TLABANAJ)

Keywords

• Vehicle crashworthiness testing
• Crash avoidance ratings
• Insurance loss analytics
• Highway safety research
• Vehicle safety ratings

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance industry member funding: IIHS and HLDI are wholly supported by auto insurers and insurance associations. Member companies represent over 85% of the U.S. private passenger vehicle insurance market. Funding totaled approximately $600 million in member contributions from 1999 to 2024. The organizations are 501(c)(3) nonprofit entities.
2. Consumer education and publications: Free vehicle safety ratings, research publications, and educational guides are provided to the public at no charge, funded by member insurance contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization that conducts standardized vehicle crash tests and crash avoidance evaluations at its Vehicle Research Center in Ruckersville, Virginia, publishing vehicle safety ratings including the Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ award designations. Its affiliated Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) collects, analyzes, and publishes insurance loss data covering most car, SUV, pickup truck, and motorcycle models on U.S. roads under six insurance coverages. Both organizations also fund and publish behavioral and infrastructure safety research, policy analysis tools, educational guides, and crash science classroom materials for consumers, policymakers, vehicle manufacturers, safety researchers, and member insurers.

Product overview

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization offering a comprehensive vehicle safety evaluation system. The core product is its vehicle ratings program, which includes crashworthiness ratings (moderate overlap front, small overlap front, side crash, roof strength, head restraints) and crash avoidance ratings (front crash prevention, pedestrian detection, lane departure, blind spot, rear crash prevention). IIHS awards Top Safety Pick (TSP) and Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+) designations to vehicles meeting rigorous criteria. The affiliated Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) provides insurance loss data by vehicle make and model. Additional offerings include driver death rate data, commercial vehicle safety evaluations, teen vehicle recommendations, and policy calculators. The organization operates the Vehicle Research Center (VRC) in Virginia where all crash testing is conducted.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crash Science in the Classroom: A free resource for students and teachers about crash science

Products and services

• Vehicle Crashworthiness Ratings Evaluations of how well vehicles protect occupants in crashes, covering moderate overlap front, small overlap front (driver-side and passenger-side), side crash, roof strength, and head restraint tests, with results published publicly by make and model.
• Top Safety Pick Award (TSP) Consumer-facing award given to vehicles earning good ratings in the moderate overlap front test, an acceptable or good small overlap front test, an acceptable or good side test, and acceptable or good headlights, plus acceptable or good pedestrian front crash prevention.
• Top Safety Pick+ Award (TSP+) Highest-tier IIHS award requiring good ratings in small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and side tests, acceptable or good headlights, good pedestrian front crash prevention, and acceptable or good vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention 2.0, all as standard equipment.
• Crash Avoidance and Mitigation Ratings Evaluations of vehicle technologies designed to prevent a crash or reduce its severity, including front crash prevention (vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian detection), lane departure warning and prevention, blind spot detection, and rear crash prevention.
• Insurance Loss Data Vehicle-specific insurance loss statistics published by HLDI under six insurance coverages (collision, property damage liability, personal injury protection, medical payment, bodily injury liability, and comprehensive) for most car, SUV, pickup truck, and motorcycle models, drawn from a database representing over 85% of the U.S. private passenger auto insurance market.
• Driver Death Rates Per-vehicle driver fatality statistics computed as the number of drivers killed in crashes per million registered vehicle years for individual vehicle models, providing comparative real-world safety data for consumers and researchers.
• Partial Automation Safeguard Ratings Ratings of the driver monitoring, escalating attention alerts, and fail-safe procedures built into Level 2 partial driving automation systems to assess whether partial automation safeguards its drivers appropriately.
• Seat Belt Reminder Ratings Ratings of vehicle seat belt reminder systems based on the visual and audible warning features and their duration, intended to encourage loud and persistent alerts that increase belt use.
• Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations New IIHS evaluations of commercial vehicles (beginning with cargo vans and Class 3 heavy-duty pickups) covering five driver-protection features essential for occupant safety: airbags, seat belt pretensioners, force limiters, and seat belt reminders.
• LATCH Ratings Ratings evaluating the ease of correctly installing child restraints in vehicles using the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system, helping parents and caregivers choose vehicles with family-friendly child seat hardware.
• Teen Vehicle Recommendations Annual list of recommended used and new vehicles for teen drivers, identifying vehicles with good crash protection, standard electronic stability control, and crash avoidance features at various price points.
• Seat Belt Law Calculator Online policy calculator using statistical models to estimate how strengthening or weakening state seat belt laws would affect belt use and fatality rates in each state.
• Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Calculator Online calculator for evaluating how the parameters of state graduated driver licensing (GDL) policies affect teen driver safety outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 48,352 lives saved from crashworthiness improvements driven by IIHS ratings (1999-2024)
• +13 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered key and research.

• Consumer ReportskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIHS and Consumer Reports have jointly produced an annual list of recommended vehicles for teen drivers since 2020. The collaboration combines IIHS crashworthiness and crash avoidance ratings with Consumer Reports' reliability and usability data to provide families with comprehensive safety and value recommendations.
• Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaresearchStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on 'Factors That Contribute to Death in Belted Rear Seat Occupants' as part of IIHS's university research agreement program.
• University of Michigan Transportation Research InstituteresearchStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research including studies on 'Effect of Repealing Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law on Crash-Related Fatalities & Injuries,' 'Roadside High Beam Usage Study,' and 'Develop and Validate a Belt Fit Procedure for the Rear Seat.'
• University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research CenterresearchStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on 'Risk Factors for Crashes of Large Trucks' as part of IIHS's university research agreement program.
• University of VirginiaresearchStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on 'Expanded Analysis of NASS Small Overlap Crashes' as part of IIHS's university research agreement program.
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIHS and NHTSA jointly brokered a voluntary commitment by 20 automakers (representing 99% of U.S. light vehicle sales) to make front crash prevention with automatic braking standard by September 2022. More than 99% of the U.S. vehicle market ultimately signed on. In 2015, both organizations also announced the commitment.
• George Washington UniversityresearchStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on 'Bicycle Infrastructure & Injury Risk in U.S. Cities' as part of IIHS's university research agreement program.
• NYU School of MedicineresearchStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on 'Bicycle Infrastructure & Injury Risk in U.S. Cities' as part of IIHS's university research agreement program.
• Oregon Health & Science UniversityresearchStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on 'Bicycle Infrastructure & Injury Risk in U.S. Cities' as part of IIHS's university research agreement program.
• University of Chicago NORCresearchStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on 'Effectiveness of Alcohol Ignition Interlock Laws' as part of IIHS's university research agreement program.
• University of Colorado at DenverresearchStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on 'Evaluation of Advanced Detection Loops' as part of IIHS's university research agreement program.
• University of MinnesotaresearchStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on 'Swiftness of Adjudication as a Factor in Reducing Drunk Driving' as part of IIHS's university research agreement program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Euro NCAP: European vehicle safety rating program operating under a near-identical model — independent crash testing, star ratings, and Top Safety Pick-equivalent awards (Best in Class). Directly comparable as IIHS's international counterpart; competes for automaker mindshare.
• JNCAP (Japan NCAP): Japan's government-administered NCAP program conducting crashworthiness and crash avoidance evaluations with comparable rating structures. Direct product/technology peer.
• Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP): Australia/New Zealand NCAP — operates crash testing and star ratings using very similar methodologies to IIHS. Closely aligned with Euro NCAP protocols; directly comparable on product/category and business model.
• Latin NCAP: Latin American vehicle safety assessment program — applies NCAP-style crash testing and star ratings to vehicles sold in the region. Functionally analogous to IIHS in its rating program design.
• Global NCAP: U.K.-based umbrella organization coordinating NCAPs worldwide (Latin NCAP, ASEAN NCAP, India NCAP, etc.) and running the #SaferCarsForIndia campaign. Closely related mission and institutional model to IIHS.
• AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety: U.S. nonprofit research arm of AAA focused on traffic safety, driver behavior, and crash causation research. Directly comparable as a U.S. nonprofit research organization funded by an insurance/mobility membership base (AAA clubs).
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): U.S. federal regulator that runs the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) — the government's vehicle safety rating program with overlapping scope to IIHS (crashworthiness and crash avoidance). NHTSA is IIHS's co-leader on the voluntary AEB commitment and jointly publishes 5-Star Safety Ratings.
• C-NCAP (China NCAP): China's domestic vehicle safety rating program administered by CATARC, conducting crash testing and star ratings on vehicles sold in China. Direct NCAP peer to IIHS with similar methodology and rating structure.

Broad incumbents

• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB): U.S. federal agency that investigates major transportation accidents and issues safety recommendations. Adjacent rather than direct overlap with IIHS — NTSB focuses on accident investigation and recommendations; IIHS on testing and ratings — but the two collaborate on highway safety research.

Emerging players

• Consumer Reports: U.S. consumer product testing nonprofit that publishes vehicle reviews and reliability data, and partners with IIHS annually on the teen vehicle recommendations list. Overlapping consumer-facing vehicle rating domain but broader scope (appliances, electronics, finance, etc.).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/IIHS_autosafety
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@iihs-hldi
• Facebookfacebook.com/iihs.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iihs-hldi
• Instagraminstagram.com/iihs_autosafety
• TikToktiktok.com/@iihs_autosafety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Insurance Institute for Highway Safety