IIHS: passengers in newer pickups at higher risk for injury

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has been performing small overlap front crash tests (where the left corner collides with a vehicle or object) since 2012. Only in 2017 did it start to test the passenger side, after which it came to several conclusions that may be of interest to Florida residents.

It appears that in newer two-row pickup trucks, the passengers have a higher risk for injury or death than the drivers. The majority of pickups tested “struggled to maintain their structure,” as IIHS researchers put it. The Toyota Tundra scored the lowest and received a “poor” mark. Part of the reason seems to be that the Tundra saw its last major redesign in 2014, whereas others have since been overhauled.

Above the “poor” rating is the “marginal” rating, which researchers gave to five pickups in all. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and GMC Sierra 1500 are all GM vehicles. The fifth was the Nissan Frontier. Two vehicles saw “acceptable” performance, the Honda Ridgeline and the Toyota Tacoma. Highest of all was “good,” which was bestowed upon the Ford F-150, Ram 1500 and Nissan Titan.

By contrast, driver’s-side safety was “good” for all but two pickups. The Tundra and Frontier scored only “marginal.” It is clear, then, that occupant safety lags behind driver safety in modern pickups.

The victim of a car accident could be left with serious injuries. However, they may be able to seek compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages and other economic and non-economic losses. Since Florida is a no-fault state, a claim against the other driver can only be considered once the victim files with their own insurer. Therefore, it may be a good idea to have a lawyer evaluate the case and determine one’s eligibility.