Base models with headlights that earn a good rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety remain rare.

Zero pickups or minivans qualified for the safety honor this year, under new criteria imposed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 

Angela Sparks, who served as chair of State Farm's Board of Directors in 2019, will continue on in the position for the first six months of the year.

In recent years, more than 800 pedestrians annually have been killed on U.S. interstates and other freeways.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said that, moving forward, it's making the criteria a bit tougher to earn awards.

The redesigned 2020 Ford Explorer offers better protection in the driver-side small overlap front test than earlier models, but hasn't improved enough to qualify for a 2019 safety award.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, federal regulators should amend vehicle safety standards to require a visual display that alerts drivers when passengers in rear seats are not wearing their seat belt.

The 2020 Volvo S60 recently earned a safety award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety following improvements to its headlights.

The IIHS recently announced a new test program with a higher impact speed and a heavier barrier is expected to be launched next year.