Automotive Fleet
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Half of Small Pickups Tested Score Good Ratings on New IIHS Side Crash Test

Six small pickups recently underwent a new, more rigorous side crash test designed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which deemed the results an “overall solid performance” for this category of vehicles.

Half of Small Pickups Tested Score Good Ratings on New IIHS Side Crash Test

Out of all six pickups recently tested, the Nissan Frontier’s structure held up the best.

Photo: Nissan

2 min to read


Three out of six small pickups — the Chevrolet Colorado crew cab, GMC Canyon crew cab, and Honda Ridgeline crew cab — earned good scores in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) updated side crash test.

What’s more, the Nissan Frontier crew cab and Ford Ranger crew cab garnered acceptable ratings. Only the Toyota Tacoma crew cab took home a marginal rating.

Ad Loading...

IIHS experts applaud the group, calling it an “overall solid performance” for small pickups. IIHS developed the updated side crash test after research showed that many of the real-world side impacts that still account for nearly a quarter of passenger vehicle occupant fatalities are more severe than the original evaluation.

The six pickups fared relatively well considering the rigors of the new crash evaluation. For example, the new test uses a heavier barrier traveling at a higher speed to simulate the striking vehicle. The new barrier weighs 4,200 pounds — close to the weight of today’s midsize SUVs — and strikes the test vehicle at 37 mph, compared with a 3,300-pound barrier traveling at 31 mph in the original evaluation.

In the case of the three top performers — the good-rated Colorado, Canyon, and Ridgeline — the structure and safety cages held up pretty well, indicating a minimal risk of most injuries. That said, injury measures taken from the dummies pointed to a possibility of a pelvic fracture for the driver of the Colorado, the Canyon, and especially the Ridgeline.

Noteworthy, the Frontier’s structure held up the best out of all six vehicles, and the Ranger’s occupant compartment was also maintained relatively well, minimizing the risk of most injuries. However, the rear passenger dummies’ heads struck the C-pillar through the side curtain airbag in both acceptable-rated vehicles.

Conversely, structural performance was a problem for the Tacoma. The pickup’s structure and safety cage were not maintained well during the crash. The impact from the striking barrier crumpled the door sill and B-pillar, pushing the B-pillar to within a few inches of the center of the driver seat. Because structural integrity is so closely linked to survivability, IIHS engineers count it as a critical factor in scoring, which is why the Tacoma only managed a marginal rating.

More Safety

An image to reflect an article on how the safest fleets aren't the ones with the most tech.
SafetyAugust 11, 2026

The Safest Fleets Aren’t the Ones with the Most Technology

You’ve made the telematics investment. Here’s how to capture the other half of its value and build the safest fleet on the road.

Read More →
Cover of the AgileFleet white paper "Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks" with the AgileFleet logo and a photo of fleet vehicles parked outside a government building.
SponsoredAugust 7, 2026

Hidden in Plain Sight: Fleet Compliance Risks

Fleet compliance isn't just about having policies — it's about consistently enforcing them. This practical guide reveals six hidden compliance risks common in public sector and shared fleet operations and outlines proven strategies to improve visibility, accountability, and audit readiness

Read More →
conference attendees watching a speaker
Safetyby StaffAugust 6, 2026

NETS Sets 2026 Fleet Safety Benchmark Conference for Indianapolis

The Sept. 15–17 program will feature fleet benchmarking data, case studies, emerging technologies, and implementation strategies while running alongside the NSC Safety Congress & Expo.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
NETS crash statistics overlaying an accident photo
Safetyby Chris BrownAugust 5, 2026

Off-the-Job Crashes Account for 43% of Employers’ $61.7 Billion Crash Burden

NETS quantifies costs dispersed across fleet, risk, HR, and other departments while providing new per-crash benchmarks for employers.

Read More →
red ram recall image
Safetyby Faith HowellAugust 3, 2026

Ram Recalls More Than 1.27 Million 1500 Pickups for Seat Belt Anchor Issue

The recall affects certain 2019-2026 Ram 1500 pickups that may have improperly attached second-row seat belt buckle anchors.

Read More →
Promotional graphic for a Utilimarc guide titled How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48% featuring a call-to-action to download the guide.
SponsoredJuly 17, 2026

How Better Visibility Cut Speeding Violations by 48%

Fleet leaders don't need more data, they need clearer visibility into what the data is saying. This case study explores how one utility replaced speeding-event counts with a single metric — miles driven in violation — to strengthen safety and significantly reduce speeding violations.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Smiling commercial truck driver gives a thumbs-up from inside a tractor cab during Operation Safe Driver Week 2026, highlighting fleet safety, responsible driving and enforcement awareness.
Safetyby Judie NuskeyJuly 16, 2026

Operation Safe Driver Week: Why the Industry's Oldest Safety Campaign Still Matters to Fleets

A look at how a 2007 enforcement initiative became one of the most consequential weeks on the fleet safety calendar, and what it means for your drivers in 2026.

Read More →
Nexar and nauto logos
Safetyby StaffJuly 13, 2026

Nexar-Nauto Merger Aims to Give Fleets Better Safety Intelligence Through Larger Driving Dataset

Stefan Heck tells Automotive Fleet that combining more than 10 billion miles of driving history with Nexar's AI models will give fleets deeper insights into driver risk and roadway conditions than either company could provide independently.

Read More →
A black square with white color font text
SponsoredJuly 2, 2026

From Silos to Solutions: Relationship Management for Safer Fleets

From telematics adoption and driver accountability to policy consistency and risk mitigation, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a safer fleet culture without slowing business down.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
IIHS HLDI text overlaid on the trunks of pick up trucks.
Safetyby Chris BrownJuly 2, 2026

IIHS Launches First Commercial Vehicle Safety Evaluations

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has begun evaluating heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans for driver protection. Which models earned top marks?

Read More →