IIHS: three large pickups offer poor side-impact protection, perform worse than some subcompact cars

You're more likely to be injured if you're t-boned
in a 5,200-pound Chevrolet Silverado than in an
1,800-pound Smart ForTwo, the IIHS said.
 

The Chevrolet Silverado is one of the biggest and best-selling vehicles in the country but today failed a side crash test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 

The competing Nissan Titan also earned the organization's lowest rating of Poor when tested without its optional side-impact airbags, and the Dodge Ram earned the second-lowest rating of Marginal.

The Ford F-150, Honda Ridgeline, and Toyota Tundra, crash-tested earlier, had earned the top rating of Good in the side crash test, as well as in frontal and rear-impact evaluations, making them "Top Safety Picks."

"The size, weight, and height of these large pickups should help them ace the side tests just like the other large pickups we've tested. Not these three," Institute senior vice president David Zuby said in an IIHS press release. "They perform worse than many cars we've evaluated."

The subcompact Honda Fit, Smart ForTwo, and Toyota Yaris are among the economy cars that earned the IIHS's top rating of Good in protecting occupants in a test that simulates an SUV or truck t-boning them at 31 miles per hour. 

The IIHS says the Silverado's structure could not withstand the impact, letting the crash-test barrier push far into the occupant compartment. The Silverado's "b-pillar" (the structural support between the front and rear door) was ended up bent past the rear seat. (SEE PHOTO) This leaves occupants likely facing fractured ribs and internal injuries even with the optional side airbags. Without side airbags, head injuries are also likely. 

The Titan and Ram have stronger structures than the Silverado (and the near-identical GMC Sierra), the IIHS said, but also have a high risk of rib fractures in this type of accident. However, their superior structural performance gave them the higher crash score than the Silverado. (The Titan also earned Marginal instead of Poor when tested with the optional side airbags; the Silverado failed with and without them.)

These three all offer side-curtain airbags (they're standard on the Ram), which deploy from the roof and protect the heads of front and rear occupants. The three pickups that were rated Good also offer side airbags that deploy from the front seats to protect occupants' torsos. 

Unlike frontal crash tests, in which a test vehicle is driven into a stationary barrier, side-impact crash tests can be compared among vehicles of all weights. Frontal crash tests simulate the effect of hitting a vehicle of the same weight, but the side test of a barrier striking the side of a the test vehicle acts the same on a tiny Yaris as a full-size Silverado. 

"These large pickups don't have to work as hard as smaller vehicles do to protect their occupants. Even with their characteristic advantages [that they're bigger], the Ram, Titan, and Silverado still miss the mark when it comes to occupant protection in side crashes," Zuby said.