IIHS Introduces First Commercial Vehicle Safety Ratings, Highlighting Safety Gaps
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its inaugural safety ratings for commercial vehicles, focusing on heavy-duty pickups and cargo vans. This initiative addresses a significant regulatory gap, as federal standards do not mandate airbags or seat belt systems for these vehicles. The IIHS evaluated vehicles based on four criteria: standard front and side airbags, seat belt pretensioners, force limiters, and effective seat belt reminders. Among the vehicles assessed, the Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD and Ford F350 SuperCrew met all criteria, while the Ram 3500 lacked an effective seat belt reminder. In the cargo van category, the Chevrolet BrightDrop 400 and Ram ProMaster 2500 passed, but others, including the Express 2500, failed due to missing force limiters and reminders. The IIHS plans to expand its assessments to include automatic emergency braking and headlights, with future evaluations covering Class 4-6 trucks. 
