1500

Make
Ram
Segment
Sports Car

Despite being the most popular vehicle segment in America, full-size trucks have a poor reputation for safety ratings. In fact, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety just introduced more stringent guidelines that will make it even tougher for trucks to earn a good crash score. In a statement released this week, the IIHS said that only a single full-size pickup truck model earned its Top Safety Pick Award for 2020.

The 2021 Ram 1500 crew cab pickup earned the coveted award when equipped with specific headlights and optional front crash prevention. Formerly a Top Safety Pick + recipient in 2020, the 2021 Ram missed out on the top honor because it didn't earn good or acceptable headlights ratings on all trims. Only three out of the four available headlight packages earn marginal scores, which is part of the new criteria for 2020.

Ram's new curve-adaptive LED projector headlights, which come on the Limited Longhorn, Limited, and TRX trim levels, earn a good rating from the IIHS. As a reminder, these trim levels are quite pricey, starting at $45,624, $49,059, and $70,095, respectively. To fully qualify for the award, these trim levels also require the optional front-crash prevention system.

In IIHS testing, the Ram 1500 avoided collisions at both 12 mph and 25 mph. The truck also prevented hitting the dummy in most vehicle-to-pedestrian tests or substantially mitigated the impact. It only failed when asked to slow down during a 37-mph trial, designed to simulate an adult pedestrian traveling in the same direction.

The 2021 Ram 1500 earned good ratings in six crashworthiness tests, including the driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints. It doesn't appear like the IIHS has tested the 2021 F-150 yet. This all-new truck boasts some impressive safety features that could match the Ram. But until the F-150 gets tested, the Ram 1500 is the king of truck safety.