Passengers in new trucks may be more prone to injury than drivers

Since 2017, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has been conducting crash tests on both the driver and passenger sides of vehicles. After a recent round of crash tests on 11 newer two-row pickup trucks, the IIHS came to an important conclusion that Illinois residents should know about. It turns out that the passengers of these pickups are more likely than the drivers to be injured or die in a collision.

The performance of the driver’s side was rated as “good” on all but two of the pickups. Researchers thought the performance of the Toyota Tundra and Nissan Frontier was only “marginal.” The results of the passenger sides was another story.

Only three were rated as “good.” These are the Ford F-150, Ram 1500 and Nissan Titan. Below that were two pickups, the Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma, that were ranked as “acceptable.” A total of five saw “marginal” performance. Of these, four were General Motors vehicles: the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon and GMC Sierra 1500. The other was the Nissan Frontier.

The Toyota Tundra saw the worst performance and was given a “poor” mark. IIHS researchers noted how the pickup would struggle to maintain its structure during collision tests. This may partly be because the Tundra has not seen a major redesign since 2014. Some of the other pickups tested have seen recent overhauls.

It is possible for a passenger in a car wreck to file a claim against the driver they were riding with. However, it all depends on how liability for the accident is distributed. The victim may want a lawyer to evaluate their case. If retained, the lawyer could gather proof of negligence with the help of investigators. The defendant’s insurance company will likely have its own legal team fighting to deny payment, but the lawyer may handle all negotiations.