Improved side crash protection earns Honda Accord Top Safety Pick+

The 2023 Honda Accord, a midsize car, earns a Top Safety Pick+ award thanks to improved side crash protection.

The requirements are tougher for both the lower-tier Top Safety Pick and higher-tier Top Safety Pick+ award in 2023. Acceptable or good headlights are now required across all trims for either award, rather than only for the higher accolade. In addition, the updated side test, in which a heavier striking barrier hits the test vehicle at a higher speed, replaces the original side evaluation. Vehicles must earn an acceptable or good rating to qualify for Top Safety Pick. A good rating is required for the “plus.”

The redesigned 2023 Accord earns a good rating in the updated side test, while the 2022 model only managed a marginal rating. All trims also now come with good-rated LED reflector headlights.

This year’s Top Safety Pick+ criteria also include a new nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention test. Advanced or superior performance is required in both the nighttime and daytime pedestrian tests for the higher award. For Top Safety Pick, only a daytime rating of advanced or superior is required.

In these evaluations, the Accord’s standard front crash prevention system earns a daytime rating of superior and a nighttime rating of advanced.

As before, to earn either award, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front and original moderate overlap front tests. The roof strength, head restraint and vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention evaluations are no longer part of the award criteria.