Three out of seven large pickup trucks evaluated in a new round of crash tests earn an acceptable or higher rating for occupant protection in a small overlap front crash, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
According to the institute, vehicles that earn a basic rating for front crash prevention plus good ratings in the small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint evaluations qualify for Top Safety Pick. In order to qualify for 2016 Top Safety Pick+, a vehicle must earn good ratings in the five crashworthiness tests and an advanced or superior rating for front crash prevention.
This year, the 2016 Ford F-150 is the only full-size pickup truck to score the top rating in new front crash tests.
"Ford is leading the way among large pickup manufacturers when it comes to protecting people in a range of crashes and offering technology to warn drivers of imminent frontal crashes," says Raul Arbelaez, vice president of the Institute's Vehicle Research Center said in a press release. "We commend Ford for taking last year's test results to heart and upgrading protection for SuperCab occupants in small overlap crashes."
Check out this video that explains the process behind the testing: