The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently updated its selection of the safest vehicles on the road in 2021. "With these awards, we want to make it easy for consumers to find vehicles that provide good protection in crashes, sufficient lighting and effective front crash protection," IIHS President David Harkey said in a prepared statement. "Manufacturers have stepped up to meet the challenge, and the list of great options has grown to an impressive size this year." The IIHS gives each vehicle on the list either a "Top Safety Pick" or a "Top Safety Pick+" rating. Both ratings require stellar vehicle performance in the following six areas: driver- and passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraints. The organization's 2021 picks bring the total number of vehicles with an IIHS safety rating to 90. Of those, the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands have the most 2021 awards overall. Volvo has the most Top Safety Pick+ awards. The plus is awarded to models that come exclusively with good or acceptable headlights, making it easier for consumers to find well-equipped vehicles. The slideshow above illustrates the eight midsize vehicles that earned IIHS's 2021 Top Safety Pick+ rating. Note that midsize luxury vehicles are not included in this presentation. All vehicle photos are reproduced with permission from IIHS. See also:

• IIHS: Safest SUVs of 2020
• IIHS: The 15 safest cars of 2020
• Top 15 states for deadly motor vehicle accidents