These Are The Safest Trucks In 2024 According To The IIHS
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent organization that tests vehicles for crashworthiness and crash avoidance technology. Founded in 1959, the IIHS has issued crash test ratings since 1995, with tests evolving over the years to reflect common accident types and increasing vehicle sizes.
Each year, the IIHS awards Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ (Plus) ratings to the vehicles that perform best in their evaluations. And, for 2024, only two pickup trucks received a Top Safety Pick designation, with only one truck receiving the highest rating, Top Safety Pick+. Top Safety Picks went to the Toyota Tundra (in both crew-cab and extended-cab configurations) and the Hyundai Santa Cruz, while Top Safety Pick+ was awarded solely to the Rivian R1T.
Before we dive into the specifics of these trucks, here is a brief explanation of IIHS rating terminology. The IIHS ratings are as follows, from highest to lowest: Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor. To get Top Safety Pick designations, cars and trucks must receive a top rating of Good in the small-overlap crash test, the original moderate overlap front test, and the updated side test. Vehicles must also score Acceptable or Good in the pedestrian front crash prevention test and Acceptable or Good in the headlights standard rating.
Now, let's take a closer look at how these ratings are calculated and which trucks made the cut.
Old criteria vs. new
The IIHS wants its crash tests to be tough. A few years ago, they eliminated their roof-strength test, for example, because "virtually all vehicles were earning good ratings." That same year, they updated the frontal crash criteria to address concerns about rear occupants. Over time, they've changed the size and speed of their crash modules to more accurately represent the kinetic energy transmitted by today's larger cars and trucks. The IIHS regularly updates its testing to reflect changes in auto manufacturing and available tech, and as a result, some old models get left behind.
Car crash safety tests changed back in 2022, which meant several vehicles got downgraded, no longer receiving the IIHS' Top Safety Pick status, and even fewer making the cut for Top Safety Pick Plus. When the IIHS used its previous front overlap and side strength tests, the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 were considered Top Safety Picks, but they are no longer. The 2024 F-150 and 2024 Ram 1500 for example, both received the lowest possible rating of Poor on the updated front moderate overlap test along with trucks like the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500. For more details on the difference between the original and updated moderate overlap tests, you can see that here.
2024 Rivian R1T - Top Safety Pick+
The Rivian R1T is the highest-rated pickup truck in 2024 and the only pickup truck with a Top Safety Pick+ rating. The R1T received the highest possible rating of Good in the IIHS small overlap front test, the original and updated moderate overlap tests, and the updated side test. Those are top marks in all of the IIHS crashworthiness tests — a feat that no other large pickup truck has achieved yet.
The crashworthiness tests take things into account like how far the steering column and the dashboard intruded into the cabin. They also measure things like compression and displacement of body parts on a test dummy to get a sense of injuries that would be sustained in a crash.
For crash avoidance and mitigation, the R1T got a Good rating for headlights and an Acceptable rating for front pedestrian crash prevention. The IIHS' pedestrian crash tests use adult- and child-size test dummies that move across a roadway, simulating daytime and nighttime scenarios with different simulated vehicle speeds. This test rates a vehicle's ability to slow or stop when a pedestrian moves in front of it, using automated driver aids like forward collision warning and automatic braking.
Check out the IIHS' full rating of the R1T for even more details.
2024 Toyota Tundra - Top Safety Pick
The 2024 Toyota Tundra doesn't score as highly in IIHS crashworthiness as the R1T does, but it's still ranked high enough to receive a Top Safety Pick designation. In the small overlap, original moderate overlap, and updated side crash tests, it gets the top score of Good. In the updated moderate overlap test, however, it received the lowest possible rating of Poor.
The updated moderate overlap front crash test measures driver and passenger injuries and driver restraints. In the driver injury category, the Tundra did well, with Good ratings for head/neck, chest, and thigh/hip injuries. Leg/foot injuries were rated as Acceptable. The driver restraints and crash test dummy kinematics were rated Good.
Rear passenger injury measurements weren't as impressive. Head/neck received an Acceptable rating, but chest received a Marginal rating. Rear passenger restraints and crash dummy kinematics received the worst possible rating of Poor. According to the IIHS, "rear passenger dummy injury values indicated a moderate risk of injury to the head or neck and chest."
It's not all bad news, though. The Tundra received top marks in every side test category and ratings of Good or Acceptable for headlight performance (depending on trim level) along with a rating of Acceptable for the front crash prevention system – enough to earn it a Top Safety Pick ranking overall. You can see the full rating of the Tundra from the IIHS for more details.
2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz - Top Safety Pick
An impressive stand-out in its class, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Cruz is the only small pickup truck on the IIHS' list of Top Safety Picks. The Santa Cruz received the top rating of Good in the small overlap front crash test, the original moderate overlap front test, and the updated side test. The Santa Cruz also received a rating of Good for its headlight performance and a rating of Acceptable for front crash prevention with a pedestrian. You can see the full rating of the Santa Cruz from the IIHS for more details.
For comparison, the Ford Maverick, one of the Santa Cruz's chief competitors in the small pickup category, received a Good rating in the updated side crash test but just Marginal in the updated moderate overlap test. It hasn't received ratings in the other tests yet. It's also worth noting that just because a vehicle isn't on this list doesn't mean it scored poorly. The redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma, for example, which is also classified as a small pickup, hasn't been rated yet.