Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Three Large Pickups Earn Poor Safety Ratings
If you are a contractor, farmer or business owner using one of the three large pickup trucks that serve as workhorses in your industry, you may be driving an unsafe vehicle. According to the results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the 2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 and Nissan Titan did not perform well in side-crash tests. That means that the vehicle's occupants could be at risk of serious injuries resulting from a side-impact crash.
A press release by the Institute referred to the side crash protection offered by these large pickups as, "wimpy, at best." David Zuby, the Institute senior vice president was quoted as saying, "the size, weight, and height of these large pickups should help them ace the side tests just like the other large pickups we've tested. Not these three. They perform worse than many cars we've evaluated."
The Institute's side tests evaluate the protection of occupants when the vehicles are struck in the side by SUVs or pickups. During the test, the vehicle is hit in the side by a barrier traveling at 31 miles per hour. Researchers then assess the test dummies to determine the extent of possible injuries caused by a car accident that would be similar in nature.
The Dodge Ram, even though it is equipped with standard side air bags, earned the second lowest score of "marginal," when tested for side crash protection. The Chevrolet Silverado and Nissan Titan received the lowest score of "poor" when tested without optional side air bags. However, when these two pickup trucks were tested again with optional safety equipment, the Chevrolet Silverado still earned a poor rating, while the Nissan Titan only improved its score to marginal.
The Institute believes the Chevrolet Silverado received its low ratings because of a combination of a poor side structure and a lack of side torso air bags. During the crash test, there was a lot of intrusion into the occupant compartment of the Chevrolet Silverado. Based on the measures recorded on the test dummies, a side impact accident in a Chevrolet Silverado could result in rib fractures and internal organ injuries.
A spokeswoman from GM, Carolyn Markey, responded to the test results by stating that the automaker pays attention to the tests, but it is also important to realize that the results of one test do not determine whether or not a vehicle is safe.
If you have been involved in an auto accident caused by a defective car, contact an experienced Boston auto product liability lawyer immediately. Call Kiley Law Group, LLP today at (617) 248-8690 or (888) 208-1695 for legal advice.
