After a new series of crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway (IIHS), the 2013 Ford Focus graduates to the new Top Safety Pick+ rating, which is the institute’s highest. What that means in plain English is that the Focus is currently the safest car in its class, and one of the only six small cars to earn that rating.

To earn the Top Safety Pick+ certificate, vehicles must pass a battery of test, including moderate overlap frontal crash, side impact, rollover, and seats/head restraints, with “good” rating. Focus passed all the test with flying colors, showing off the clever engineering of its ultra-high-strength steel structure and advanced safety technologies.

Safety was a concern for the makers of the Focus right from the get go, and you can see that in the way they have designed and built the car’s structure. The high-strength body is strategically reinforced in places to help protect the passenger cabin in a collision. Boron steel in the Focus’ structure absorbs and redirects crash forces to protect vehicle occupants in the event of a crash.

The Focus also gets a whole host of conventional safety equipment, with one unconventional one that is specially handy for parents. It’s the MyKey system, which can be programed to limit audio system volume, to limit top vehicle speed, and to encourage teens to wear their safety belts with the use of chimes and by muting the radio if the front-row safety belts are not buckled. Sounds a bit harsh, but using the system is optional, so it’s no dictatorship!