Big Pickups Score Poorly on Back-Seat Safety
New test shows that rear seats, as in small pickups, offer less protection than front seats.
The Toyota Tundra earned a "marginal" rating, while the other three brands' models scored "poor" in the test, which focuses on back-seat safety.
IMAGE: Toyota
It appears newer pickups in general aren’t designed well for back-seat safety.
Newly released test results show large pickup trucks fare poorly on rear-seat protection. That follows a study of small pickups in June that had similar results.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tested four large pickups in its updated “moderate overlap” front crash test, which focuses on back-seat safety.
The Ram 1500, Ford F-150, Toyota Tundra and Chevrolet Silverado 1500, all crew cabs and 2023 models, failed to get good ratings. Only the Silverado managed a “marginal” rating, the others “poor.”
The trucks provide good or acceptable side protection, the nonprofit organization said in a press release on its findings, but are lacking in their back seats, where restraints are “inadequate.”
“Submarining was a problem for all four pickups, and belt forces were too high in all but the Tundra,” said IIHS President David Harkey.
The results are similar to most other vehicle categories, whose safety performance drops off in the back seat, it said.
Last year’s test update followed research showing risk of fatal injury is higher for belted second-row occupants of newer vehicles than for front-seat occupants because front seats are now safer due to improved air bags and seat belts that are rare back-seat features, the group said.
It emphasizes that the back seat is still the safest spot for children, who it said can be hurt by inflating air bags.
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
More Showroom
Auto Transaction Prices Hit New Height
October sales of big, pricey models push up the average, even as budget-conscious consumers snag more economical options.
Read More →
Making the Safe Choice
Kelley Blue Book has turned households with teen drivers onto safe and affordable options for their vehicles of choice
Read More →
Inventory Holds Steady
September new-vehicle inventory rose slightly month-over-month, but dealer lots are laden with MY2026 vehicles as the typical model year changeover trudges along.
Read More →
October Auto Sales Fall With the Leaves
A forecast anticipates retail deliveries are down this month as consumers continue to face cost challenges, though more are tapping long loans in order to buy.
Read More →
California Sees Quarterly Gains
California’s new-vehicle market saw a boost in hybrids in the third quarter and its first overall quarterly market gain of the year.
Read More →
New-Vehicle Prices Stay Put
Affordability pressures and model availability shaped new-vehicle sales in September, according to an analysis by Kelley Blue Book.
Read More →
EV Buyer Consideration Shifts
What drives American consumers to purchase an electric vehicle is shifting as the question moves away from Should I?' to 'Which features and experience do I want to have?'
Read More →
Year-to-Date Auto Sales Holding Their Own
A forecast through August shows that automakers have shifted strategies to keep deliveries and revenues up despite tariffs and other economic challenges.
Read More →
Slow to Robo
Ten years of polling consumers shows autonomous vehicles’ profiles have risen considerably, but even more people now want at least some level of control if they go that route.
Read More →
Dealers a Little Down
A third-quarter Cox Automotive survey finds them in a mixed mood, bummed by fallen customer traffic but encouraged by better profits, costs and EV interest.
Read More →