IIHS debuts commercial vehicle safety evaluations, starting with driver protection
IIHS has begun rating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans, with four of the first nine earning top marks for driver-protection features.
- 6,535
- 16%
- 29%
- 30%
What Happened
IIHS has released the first results of its new commercial vehicle evaluations, covering nine heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans. The initial focus is driver protection, and four of the nine vehicles include a suite of features IIHS calls essential: standard front and side airbags, advanced seat belt technology, and effective seat belt reminders. The evaluations aim to help commercial vehicle buyers make safer choices.
6,535
16% of all U.S. roadway fatalities that year
Many government safety standards for passenger vehicles do not apply to delivery vans, box trucks, tractor-trailers and certain work pickups, so features as basic as airbags are not required. U.S. regulators also do not currently require automatic emergency braking or other advanced driver assistance systems for commercial vehicles. In the absence of strong regulations, IIHS says its information can help commercial vehicle buyers make informed decisions. The Institute plans to evaluate these same vehicles for AEB and headlights in coming months, since those systems can protect other road users.
“For decades, IIHS has helped consumers prioritize safety in their car-buying decisions. These initial evaluations mark our first foray into commercial vehicles, which for too long have been an afterthought when it comes to regulations and safety information.”
- Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD and Ford F350 SuperCrew pickups meet all driver protection criteria.
- Ram 3500 pickup has the necessary airbags and seat belt tech but lacks an effective seat belt reminder.
- Chevrolet BrightDrop 400 and Ram ProMaster 2500 vans also meet all criteria.
- Ford Transit T250, Mercedes Sprinter 2500, Rivian Delivery 500, and Chevrolet Express 2500 vans lack effective seat belt reminders; the Express 2500 is also missing standard force limiters.
The driver protection assessment checks whether airbags, seat belt pretensioners, force limiters, and an effective seat belt reminder are standard on the driver side. IIHS reviews manufacturer documentation rather than crash-testing those features, but it does evaluate the reminder on its test track. An effective reminder needs a visual warning and a persistent audible tone that begin within 30 seconds when the truck or van is going 6-24 mph, and within two seconds at higher speeds, then continue for at least 90 seconds or until the belt is fastened. Current federal rules only require the audible signal to last 4-8 seconds, though stricter rules are slated to go into effect for passenger vehicles and some commercial counterparts in 2028.
IIHS plans to evaluate the same vehicles for automatic emergency braking and headlights in coming months, and it is planning assessments of larger Class 4-6 trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,001 to 26,000 pounds. The Institute's 30x30 vision aims to reduce U.S. roadway fatalities by 30 percent by 2030. It says reducing the toll of commercial vehicle crashes is a key part of that effort.
Why this matters
Commercial vehicles like delivery vans and work pickups are not subject to many federal safety rules that apply to passenger cars, so basic features such as airbags and effective seat belt reminders are often missing. IIHS's new evaluations give buyers a way to compare safety, and the Institute plans to eventually test AEB and headlights as well. Reducing crashes involving these vehicles is a stated priority because they accounted for 16% of U.S. roadway…
Terms in This Story
- Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)
- The maximum weight a vehicle can safely carry, including passengers, cargo, and the vehicle itself.
- Seat belt pretensioner
- A device that tightens a seat belt the instant a crash begins.
- Seat belt force limiter
- A feature that releases a controlled amount of belt slack to reduce stress on the body during a crash.
- Automatic emergency braking (AEB)
- A system that automatically applies the brakes to avoid or reduce a collision.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.