Considering a new pickup as your next vehicle? There are inherent safety features, such as a higher ride and greater weight. These can absolutely keep you safe in an accident that would be more dangerous in a lower, lighter vehicle.
However, it’s important to note that trucks actually tend not to get safety upgrades as quickly. They’ve always run behind to some degree.
For instance, passenger cars got upgrades like side airbags before they made their way to pickups. Currently, many trucks do not have driver assistance features, like automated crash prevention systems, that are growing more common in cars. The Ford F-150 is often touted as the best-selling truck in the United States, for example, but the 2017 model does not have automated crash prevention software.
Pickups are coming along, and experts note that these types of safety upgrades are often available now. However, they continue to score poorly on safety tests.
For instance, in 2017, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave out its yearly Top Safety Pick Plus award. That’s the highest ranking it offers. Since 2001, when pickup truck testing started for the IIHS, no large truck had ever won. In 2017, the Honda Ridgeline got the award. That’s a step forward, but it was also the only truck to qualify.
If safety is your No. 1 priority, it’s important to know all of the upsides and downsides of every vehicle you consider.
That said, all of the safety upgrades in the world can’t guarantee you’ll avoid accidents caused by other drivers or get through them without injury. If you are hurt, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation.
Source: Trucks, “Why Pickup Trucks Struggle to Score in Safety Ratings,” Zac Estrada, accessed Oct. 10, 2017
