Like large SUVs, full-size pickup trucks are a very popular choice for personal runabouts and family vehicles due to their aggressive styling and gargantuan size, the latter of which gives buyers a sense of safety in the event of an accident.
Related: This popular car accessory could kill you, according to Federal regulators
However, as trucks like Ford's F F-150, Stellantis' STLA Ram 1500 and General Motors' GM Chevrolet Silverado become some of the best-selling vehicles year after year, the latest crash tests show some bad news for the popular vehicles.
In the latest crash safety tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 have received "Poor" ratings in the updated moderate overlap front test, which has been updated to emphasize the safety of rear seat passengers.
View the original article to see embedded media.
According to the IIHS, the updated tests were put in place last year after research has shown that the risk of fatal injuries is higher for occupants in the backseat than for the driver and front seat passengers because of improved airbags and advanced seat belts that are not usually made available in the back.
In this test, a second dummy "the size of a small woman or 12-year-old child" sits behind in the backseat behind the driver's seat, where a dummy "the size of an average adult man" is positioned. The Institute says that for a vehicle to earn a "good" rating, the second row dummy cannot record an excessive risk of injury to its head, neck, chest to thigh, as well as remaining correctly positioned during the crash without submarining, or sliding under the seatbelt due to being unrestrained — which can increase the risk of abdominal injuries.
According to their results, the Chevy, Ford and Ram received poor results overall due to "inadequate restraint systems" in the rear of the three trucks. Data taken from their rear dummies showed that chest and head or neck injuries would be likely in the F-150 and Ram 1500, while the Silverado had lesser, but still excessive risk.
More Technology:
- The company behind ChatGPT is now facing a massive lawsuit
- Prominent EV company says latest deal will be the first of many
- Apple makes a big new move with Elon Musk's Twitter
“Like most other vehicle classes, large pickups don’t perform as well in the new moderate overlap evaluation as they do in the updated side test, which is now a requirement for our Top Safety Pick awards,” said IIHS President David Harkey.
Both the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 previously earned IIHS Top Safety Pick awards in 2022.
Get investment guidance from trusted portfolio managers without the management fees. Sign up for Action Alerts PLUS now.
