Ram, Ford, & Toyota Trucks Earned Poor Backseat Safety Ratings

[Calson]

Many people are buying a crew cab pickup truck instead of an SUV to be able to carry 4-5 passengers but put their backseat passengers at greater risk.

Four large pickups offer strong protection in side crashes but fall short when protecting passengers in the back seat. The following 2023 models earn good ratings in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s updated side crash test:

• The Ram 1500 crew cab.
• Ford F-150 crew cab.
• Toyota Tundra crew cab.

While the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab is rated acceptable.


However, in the updated moderate overlap front crash test, which now emphasizes back seat safety, only the Tundra manages a marginal rating. The F-150, Ram 1500, and Silverado are rated poor.

https://www.worktruckonline.com/102...?omid=1009854829&cid=636c2736369118030b0e271b

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[powerboatr]

weird. seeing as the airbag across the entire door area .. i need to seek out the crash videos

 

[Snakebitten]

Seems odd to think a crew cab body on frame modern vehicle is a dangerous crash vehicle. The average crash you drive by usually looks like you'd rather have been in the truck.

Anecdotal, of course. But I still feel safer in the truck.

 

[madsend81]

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but a new test protocol is introduced which the automakers have not had a real chance to engineer for and we're supposed to be surprised they failed the test?

I'm with Snakebitten on this one. I feel much safer having my family in my truck than a small passenger vehicle.

 

[Ryan74]

I wonder how supercabs do in this test…

 

[JExpedition07]

Unfortunately in 2021 Ford went a step backwards on rear seat occupant safety due to cost cutting. They used to heave rear seat inflating seatbelts but they were deleted as a cost savings measure. As we can see in the recent rounds of testing this is a huge danger to backseat passengers when abruptly colliding with another automobile.

 

[JExpedition07]

I wonder how supercabs do in this test…

On the 13th gen the supercab did pretty well in the small offset and side crash testing and was rated good. The rear pillar and front pillar are closer together with the smaller cab length, and the middle door is pretty beefy and acts as a middle pillar replacement. It would likely score similar to the SuperCrew. The 2015 supercab did terrible, so Ford made structural changes for the 2016 model year that resulted in going from a “marginal” to a “good” rating.

 

[Calson]

But for the feds doing crash tests there would be no improvement by the car and truck manufacturers. My neighbor's son recently bought a 2012 Honda Civic and in that year the car had been strengthened to pass the crash tests.

My 1988 Toyota pickup had a driver side air bag but nothing for the passenger. I sold it a couple years later to get a vehicle that had protection for the passenger as well as the driver.

I use the rear of the cab for gear and when driving around with passengers I take the SUV instead. More comfortable for them as there is not the climb up into the cab as with my trucks.

 

[Samson16]

I wonder how supercabs do in this test…

Better because they’re crammed in like sardines and can’t move anyway

 

[Samson16]

I have a full steel frame and weigh 6000lbs. Come and get some.

 

[JExpedition07]

I have a full steel frame and weigh 6000lbs. Come and get some.

I’m outside your house, but I borrowed my dad’s F-250. I’m ready. Let’s see who wins

 

[Calson]

If you think that anyone "wins" in a collision then I recommend you join the military as they want men with your mindset to serve as cannon fodder.

 

[JExpedition07]

If you think that anyone "wins" in a collision then I recommend you join the military as they want men with your mindset to serve as cannon fodder.

*Sigh*

 

[nomarhits400]

If you think that anyone "wins" in a collision then I recommend you join the military as they want men with your mindset to serve as cannon fodder.

Might have been tongue in cheek....

 

[Calson]

From early on as a driver I learned that many drivers believe that a bigger vehicle gives them special rights to disregard traffic regulations and behave in an unsafe manner. If they have an accident and survive it matters not if they killed others with their recklessness.

Anyone who has visited a junk yard and looked at the wrecked vehicles would have some appreciation for the outcome of "accidents" for the driver and for their passengers.

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