The Most Dangerous Seat in a Pickup

Pickup trucks may be popular, but their passenger safety ratings are not always the best, according to a recent article in Motor Biscuit. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) cautions buyers to check the safety ratings for their particular make and model.

Since 2012, the IIHS has used crash tests to rate truck safety. Frontal crashes are the most common types to result in fatalities, and so the Institute uses that type of crash to evaluate how well the seat belt and air bags protect occupants. Known as the small overlap frontal test, the simulation has the vehicle striking a 5-foot-tall rigid barrier at 40 mph. Specifically, the front left 25% of the vehicle hits the barrier on the driver’s side.

In response to this test, truck manufacturers have bolstered safety on the driver’s side. However, they may not have made similar improvements on the passenger side. As a result, some pickup trucks put passengers at greater risk than drivers.

The article reviews four pickups, only one of which has a good passenger safety rating.

  • The 2022 Toyota Tacoma is good on the driver side, moderate on the front seat overall, and only marginal on the passenger side. It also has poor headlights.
  • The 2022 Chevy Colorado does not have a great passenger rating, plus it has poor headlights and poor seat belt reminders.
  • The 2022 GMC Canyon is a “twin” of the Chevy Colorado with similar ratings.
  • The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a top safety pick. It has good safety ratings across the board and is the only pickup with a good passenger side rating.

Accidents happen. But if you were hurt in an accident where another driver was at fault, you may need an attorney experienced in litigating truck accident cases. Please reach out to us if you would like to discuss the details.