Big Pickups Score Poorly on Back-Seat Safety

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.

DIG DEEPER: New Crash Test Reveals Small Pickups' Weakness

Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today