Some pickup trucks fail to protect passengers in the rear seat, study finds

Four popular pickup trucks do a poor job of protecting back-seat passengers in some crashes, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

For the 2023 model year, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 crew cab, Ford F-150 crew cab, Ram 1500 crew cab and Toyota Tundra crew cab all fell short in expanded tests conducted by the organization that assesses the impact of accidents on people seated in the rear when vehicles are struck from the side or front. 

IIHS expanded the testing after research found that the risk of fatal injuries in newer vehicles is now greater for people in the second row than for those in the front. The front seat has gotten safer because of improvements in air bag and seat belts, which typically aren't available in back.