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Big pickup trucks earn poor rating in side impact tests


February 11, 2009   by Canadian Underwriter


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Three 2009 models of large pickups provide side crash protection that is “wimpy at best,” despite their respective sizes, heights and weights, reports the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The Nissan Titan, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Dodge Ram 1500 performed worse than many other cars the IIHS evaluated, said David Zuby, IIHS senior vice president.
The Dodge Ram, with its standard side airbags, earned a marginal rating. The Nissan Titan and Chevrolet Silverado earned poor ratings when tested without their optional side airbags.
The Titan’s side rating improves to marginal in models tested with side airbags.
The Silverado’s optional side airbags don’t improve the Silverado’s rating when compared to models without them.
One reason for this is that the Silverado’s optional side curtain airbags are designed to protect occupants’ heads — and these worked well — but occupants’ upper bodies remain unprotected even with the optional side curtains, noted the IIHS.
“In the Silverado tests, there was a lot of intrusion into the occupant compartment,” Zuby said. “With no torso airbags to protect the driver and rear passenger, measures recorded on the test dummies showed that rib fractures and internal organ injuries would be likely in a real-world crash of similar severity.”


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