Half-Ton Pickup Trucks Don't Offer Sufficient Rear Passenger Protection

Introduced back in 1995, the original moderate overlap front test sees a vehicle striking a barrier at 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers per hour) on the driver's side. Launched in December 2022, the updated moderate overlap front test incorporates an adult-sized crash test dummy in the driver's seat and a second crash test dummy seated out back. The rear passenger, which represents a 12-year-old child or a small woman, is more susceptible to injuries than the driver in this particular crash scenario.

In real-world crashes, rear passengers often submarine, as in the lap belt riding up onto the abdomen. This, in turn, increases the risk of abdominal injuries. Children and small women are even more susceptible to submarining due to their physiques, which automakers rarely take into consideration while designing the rear restraint system.

Not surprising in the least, all four aforementioned trucks were rated poor in regard to rear occupant restraints and kinematics. The overall ratings are marginal for the crew-cabbed Toyota Tundra, poor for the Silverado 1500, poor for the Ford F-150, and poor for the Ram 1500. As you can tell from the videos uploaded by the nonprofit organization on YouTube, submarining was a problem for all four.

What's more, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 could do better in the updated side test. The F-150 received acceptable for structure and safety cage, as well as for rear occupant head protection. The Silverado 1500 was rated marginal for rear passenger torso injuries, therefore downgrading the overall rating from good to acceptable.

Be that as it may, it's no secret that modern trucks are way safer in the event of a crash. From advancements in chassis and passenger cell design to automatic emergency braking and so forth, every type of vehicle in production today is – to a certain extent – safer than vehicles from 10 years ago.

When it comes to pickup trucks, the most affordable of the four tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is the F-150 at $36,570 sans destination freight charge. That money gets you the work-oriented XL grade with rear-wheel drive, steelies, and the 5.0-liter Coyote V8 engine.

Next up, the Silverado 1500 retails at $36,800 for a 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-four powerplant. Of course, said price applies to the regular cab with the standard cargo box. Redesigned for the 2025 model year with no V8 power whatsoever, the Ram 1500 starts at $38,570 for MY2024.

Last but not least, the safest pickup of the four is available to configure at $39,965. Highlights further include a hybrid option, 1,940 pounds (880 kilograms) for max payload, as well as 12,000 pounds (5,443 kilograms) for max towing.