This Safety Org Is Finally Going To Issue Ratings For Medium- And Heavy-Duty Trucks Because They Keep Killing People

Do you ever just go to the EPA’s fuel economy website for fun? No? That’s weird? You’d never do that in a million years if you didn’t have to? Oh. Well, I do, often, just because I’m curious about how random cars that pop into my brain do on mpg. If that’s weird of me, so be it.

Recently, I went to look up the fuel economy ratings for a Ram 3500, just because I was looking at used examples for sale for some reason I’ve since forgotten about. But the Ram 3500 wasn’t listed on the EPA’s site. In fact, there are no Class 3 pickups listed on the EPA’s site—the largest trucks you’ll find are from the 1/2-ton category, trucks like the F-150 and the regular Silverado.

For some reason, I forgot that these big pickups, like the Silverado 3500, the Ford F-350, the Ram 3500, aren’t subject to the same rules as their smaller siblings. While makers of trucks like the Ram 1500 and the GMC Sierra 1500 need to submit fuel economy info to the EPA and post that info on window stickers, trucks with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)—that is, the total weight of the truck and its maximum cargo capacity combined—of over 8,500 pounds don’t have to.

It’s not just fuel economy ratings where these trucks get a pass. It’s in crash safety, too. These big-boy HD trucks aren’t subject to many of the same safety standards as the smaller trucks, SUVs, and sedans you see on the road, which means they can often lack lifesaving safety equipment. But that’s about to change.

Big Trucks Are Getting The Safety Analysis They Deserve

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced today it would begin conducting tests and issuing safety ratings for Class 3 pickups and commercial vans—those with a GVWR of 10,001 pounds to 14,000 pounds, like the 3500-series trucks mentioned above. The reason? They’re involved in a pretty large portion of all fatal crashes each year in the United States. From the announcement (emphasis mine):

In 2023, 6,535 people were killed in crashes involving heavy- or medium-duty trucks or light vans, accounting for 16% of all roadway fatalities in the U.S. Improving the safety of these vehicles is crucial as we strive toward our 30×30 vision of reducing fatalities 30% by 2030.

Gaps in the U.S. vehicle safety system make commercial vehicles riskier to both their drivers and to those they share the road with. Many government safety standards that apply to passenger vehicles don’t apply to commercial vehicles, which means they often lack basic features like airbags. There are also no requirements for automatic emergency braking or other advanced driver assistance systems. These systems are particularly important when you consider that most people who die in truck crashes are other road users.

That last bit is what I think is most important. It’s usually not the truck drivers themselves who are dying in these wrecks; it’s the people in the other car (or cars). This isn’t entirely surprising to hear. Back in 2023, the IIHS released a study showing that vehicles with higher, more vertical front ends (i.e., pickup trucks, big SUVs, and vans) were “45 percent more likely to cause fatalities in pedestrian crashes than cars and other vehicles with a hood height of 30 inches or less and a sloping profile.”

Modern pickup trucks are notorious for having hugely tall, vertical noses that, in certain situations, can partially or fully obscure shorter people and children from the driver’s view, which is obviously a safety concern. The least that these trucks can have are sensors or cameras to ensure the driver is well-informed of their surroundings. Many of them already do, but it’s important to hold carmakers accountable through proper testing.

No Actual Crash Testing Yet

In its announcement, the IIHS says testing of these Class 3 vehicles has already begun. The organization plans to start revealing ratings pretty soon, but for now, there’s no mention of actual crash tests. From the release:

This spring, we’ll release occupant protection ratings for these vehicles, based on whether they are equipped with things like airbags and advanced seat belts. At the same time, we’ll be completing tests of their crash avoidance capabilities on our track, the results of which will be published later.

This makes sense, considering the IIHS’s emphasis is on making sure these trucks have tech that can avoid crashes, rather than direct occupant protection. The org also hinted at the idea of growing its field of tests to include even bigger vehicles:

Cargo vans and big pickups are only the beginning. In the coming years, we expect to expand our evaluations to include box trucks and potentially even tractor-trailers.

As someone who stands 5-foot-9-inches on a good day with thick-soled shoes, I welcome the IIHS’s new endeavor to take a look at large pickup safety. I’m sure many of you who drive low-slung sedans or sports cars have disappeared beneath the view of a big pickup while on a highway, only for that pickup to forget you were there and merge into you. If the IIHS’s efforts mean these trucks have the safety sensors to keep me out of harm’s way, either as a pedestrian or another driver, I’m all for it.

Top graphic image: Ram