Closing the Safety Gap for Heavy Vehicles

For years, heavy-duty pickup trucks—such as the Ford Super Duty and Ram HD series—have occupied a unique space in federal regulations. Because they are not classified as passenger vehicles, models like the Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD or Ford F-350 do not face the same stringent crash-safety and fuel-economy requirements as their lighter-duty counterparts. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is stepping in to change that landscape.

Backed by the insurance sector, the IIHS often applies more rigorous standards than the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). By broadening its testing scope to include Class 3 pickups and commercial vans, the organization aims to hold manufacturers to higher safety benchmarks, regardless of federal classification.


Evaluating Essential Safety Features

In its initial assessment, the IIHS focused on fundamental safety equipment, specifically checking for seatbelt reminders, pre-tensioners, force limiters, and the presence of front and side driver airbags. While these features are common in consumer cars, they are not universally mandated by federal law for heavy-duty commercial vehicles.

The evaluation included a diverse fleet of 2025 and 2026 models:

  • Heavy-Duty Pickups: 2026 Chevy Silverado 3500HD, 2025 Ford F-350 SuperCrew, and 2025 Ram 3500.
  • Cargo Vans: Chevy Express 2500, Ford Transit T250, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500, Ram ProMaster 2500, Rivian Delivery 500, and the Chevy BrightDrop 400.

The Seatbelt Reminder Challenge

While no physical crash tests were conducted in this round, the IIHS performed real-world assessments on seatbelt reminder systems. The Institute set a high bar, requiring audible and visual warnings to last for at least 90 seconds—significantly longer than the standard federal requirement of four to eight seconds. The IIHS emphasizes the importance of this, noting that «persistent reminders increased seatbelt use by 30%» in their studies.

The results were mixed. The Ram 3500, Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, Chevy Express, and Rivian failed the seatbelt reminder criteria. Additionally, the aging Chevy Express model was found to lack effective seatbelt force limiters.


Future Outlook

The IIHS intends to ramp up its efforts by introducing evaluations for automatic emergency braking and headlight performance. Furthermore, the organization plans to extend its testing to larger Class 4-6 trucks. This initiative is vital; according to IIHS data, crashes involving medium- and heavy-duty trucks or commercial vans resulted in 6,535 fatalities in 2023, representing 16% of all U.S. traffic deaths that year.