As a general rule, we have the perception that larger and more robust cars, such as SUVs and pickup trucks, offer greater protection for their occupants in the event of a collision than smaller cars. This preconceived idea is based on the laws of physics, which indicate that a body with a larger deformation zone tends to absorb the impact of a crash more effectively. Consequently, passengers will be better protected in a large car.
However, theory and reality differ, as evidenced by a study on automobile safety carried out in the United States by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). This body, equivalent to EuroNCAP, the European program that measures the safety of vehicles on sale in the European Union, has just demystified a widespread belief with its recent crash tests.
Specifically, the IIHS carried out a round of crash tests with four very popular pickup trucks in the United States and Canada. The models evaluated were the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, Ram 1500 and Toyota Tundra, which were subjected to various crash tests to evaluate the safety they offer to their passengers.
All four models earned good ratings in the IIHS's updated side crash test, but instead delivered poor results when it comes to protecting rear-seat passengers. Although the four pick-ups failed in that last test, the safety offered by the Toyota Tundra is slightly higher than that of its competitors.
The new safety protocol incorporates a second dummy behind the driver's seat. The doll is the size of a short woman or a 12-year-old child and is used to study whether a person traveling in the second row of seats maintains the correct position after impact.
The results were not satisfactory. In all cases the dummy suffered the dreaded underwater effect, sliding forward and hitting the front seats.
“Like most other vehicle classes, pickup trucks do not perform as well in the new moderate overlap testing as they do in the updated lateral test,” stated IIHS President David Harkey. In the frontal crash tests, the three American brand pickups obtained a grade of “insufficient” and the Toyota Tundra, which also failed, received a “marginal” rating.
In all cases, the dummy placed in the back of the car's passenger compartment slid forward, below the belt, increasing the risk of abdominal injuries. The doll's head was also unable to remain a safe distance from the back of the front seat and the rest of the car's interior. Regarding the safety of the driver, represented by the figure of an adult man, all four models examined passed.
Based on measurements taken with the dummy in the back seat, it is suggested that the chances of chest and head/neck injuries are high in the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500. Although the risk of these injuries is somewhat less in the Chevrolet Silverado, it is still considered excessive. In the case of the Toyota Tundra, although the poor position of the belt increases the probability of chest injuries, this is somewhat less in the head or neck area.
