IIHS: Pickup trucks skimp on passenger-side safety
A round of crash-test results released Thursday by the IIHS show that even the newest pickup truck designs aren't as safe for front-seat passengers as they are for drivers.
Most of the new trucks tested by the IIHS, including the redesigned 2019 Chevrolet Silverado and 2019 GMC Sierra, produced eyebrow-raising results in the small-overlap crash test that simulates impact with an object such as utility pole.
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Only one pickup truck on the market—the 2019 Honda Ridgeline—earned a Top Safety Pick award. Even its record is full of blemishes including an "Acceptable" rating in the challenging small-overlap test and "Marginal" ratings for the effectiveness of its seatbelts and an elevated risk of lower leg and foot injury.
The 2019 Ford F-150 was the only truck to ace the IIHS' crash testing, but it missed out on an award due to headlights that rate "Poor." A vehicle can be rated a Top Safety Pick even with the "Acceptable" score this year if its headlights are effective.
Here's a look at how the trucks performed in the passenger-side small-overlap test:
Good:
- 2019 Ford F-150
- 2019 Nissan Titan
- 2019 Ram 1500
Acceptable:
- 2019 Honda Ridgeline (Top Safety Pick)
- 2019 Toyota Tacoma
Marginal:
- 2019 Chevrolet Colorado
- 2019 Chevrolet Silverado
- 2019 GMC Canyon
- 2019 GMC Sierra
- 2019 Nissan Titan
Poor:
- 2019 Toyota Tundra
ALSO SEE: IIHS reveals list of 2019 Top Safety Pick+ winners
The IIHS said that pickup trucks took the longest to adapt to its driver-side small-overlap crash test and it's that it's not surprised that they lag on passenger-side safety.
"The pickup class still has a lot of work to do," IIHS chief research officer David Zuby said in a statement.
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