Passengers in many pickup trucks have a higher risk of injury or death than the driver.
A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that most two-row pickups had serious problems maintaining their structure in crash tests where the front-right corner is hit.
The majority of pickups recently put through the passenger-side small overlap front test struggled to maintain their structure, but two trucks — the Ford F-150 and the Nissan Titan — earn a 'good' rating. The F-150 and the Titan join the Ram 1500, whose good rating in the test was released in late 2018.
In total, IIHS has rated 11 crew cab pickups in the passenger-side test — four small and seven large. The Toyota Tundra, a large pickup, earns the only 'poor' rating, while five of the trucks rate 'marginal' including the Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Canyon, GMC Sierra 1500 and Nissan Frontier.
IIHS Chief Research Officer, David Zuby says one vehicle was the best performer in the passenger-side test.
"The Ford F-150 offered the best front passenger protection amoung all 11 pickup trucks we recently tested. The survival space held-up well and readings from the sensors and the dummy indicate a low-risk of injury to all body regions," says Zuby.
The Honda Ridgeline, which earns an acceptable rating in the passenger-side test, is the only pickup so far to qualify for the 2019 TOP SAFETY PICK award. The IIHS says that's thanks to available good-rated headlights, which the other models all lack, and available superior-rated front crash prevention. The Ridgeline qualifies for the award only when equipped with those features.
CLICK HERE for the full report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.