Heavy-duty pickup trucks from brands like Ford, Chevrolet and Ram are not considered passenger vehicles under federal regulations. So while the F-150 or Ram 1500 has to meet fuel-economy and crash-safety standards, the Super Duty or Ram HD don’t. But the Feds aren’t alone in crash testing.
Because it is backed by the insurance industry, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has an incentive to be tough on automakers when it comes to crash performance. Its safety evaluation for light-duty passenger vehicles – which includes crash testing and performance evaluation of related features such as headlights and crash-avoidance technology – already goes above and beyond the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ruling. Now it’s casting a wider net too Testing heavy-duty pickups and other commercial vehicles.
To start things off, the IIHS evaluated the performance of seatbelt reminders and seatbelt pre-tensioners in three Class 3 pickups (reflecting GVWRs between 10,001 and 14,000 pounds) and six cargo vans, while also confirming that seatbelt force limiters and front and side driver airbags are standard equipment. It may seem basic, but federal regulations do not require any of these features.
The test group included an HD pickup from each of the Detroit Three: a 2026 Chevy Silverado 3500HD, 2025 Ford F-350 SuperCrew, and 2025 Ram 3500. The vans tested (all 2025 models) included everything currently available, including the Chevy Express 2500, Ford Transit T250, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500, and Ram ProMaster. 2500, along with an electric Rivian Delivery 500 and Chevy BrightDrop 400, although the latter has been discontinued.
No crash tests were conducted, but test drives were conducted to see if the seatbelt reminders were actually doing their job. To pass, vehicles need a visible warning light and an audible tone that can be heard over the background noise. The IIHS requires warnings to continue for at least 90 seconds, compared to the federal standard of four to eight seconds. This is especially important in commercial vehicles because drivers frequently unbuckle when stopped, IIHS notes, adding that one of its studies showed that frequent reminders increased seatbelt use by 30%.
The Ram 3500, Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, Chevy Express and Rivian all failed the seatbelt reminder test. The ancient Express also lacked effective seatbelt force restraints. However, everything else was a pass. Not a bad start.
IIHS plans to expand testing to cover larger Class 4-6 trucks along with other features such as headlights and automatic emergency braking, which will help close the safety gap with passenger cars and reduce injuries and deaths. According to the IIHS, 6,535 people were killed in crashes involving medium- and heavy-duty trucks or light vans in 2023, accounting for 16% of U.S. road deaths that year. So the insurance-backed nonprofit’s testing program isn’t a moment too soon.
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