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2016 Ford F-150 Only Large Pickup to Earn IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK

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2016 Ford F-150 SuperCab IIHS small overlap frontal crash test

2016 Ford F-150 SuperCab IIHS small overlap frontal crash test
Photo: IIHS.org

Ford announced today that the 2016 Ford F-150—in both its SuperCrew and SuperCab configurations—has earned the distinction of being a TOP SAFETY PICK from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The F-150, redesigned for the 2015 model year to include a high-strength steel frame and military-grade aluminum-alloy body panels, is the only large pickup truck to earn the honor despite belief (even from its competition) that aluminum makes it less safe than traditional trucks.

“From the moment our team set out to design and build the new F-150, we knew it had to be best-in-class,” said Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president, Global Product Development, and chief technical officer. “This Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick is another example of Ford’s commitment to building the toughest, smartest, most capable and safest F-150 ever.”

The 2015 Ford F-150 SuperCrew earned a TOP SAFETY PICK last year, but undertaken “countermeasures” for the 2016 model year helped the SuperCab earn honors as well. The next-generation F-150 features 31 innovations that help vastly improve safety, including nylon hinge pillar reinforcements that are not only lighter, but also better able to blunt the forces present in a crash.

“The same innovative approach applied to every other attribute of the 2016 F-150 is exemplified in our commitment to safety,” said Nair. “We spent thousands of hours engineering, designing and developing multiple safety features that work together in the event of an accident.”

Watch: IIHS News – 2016 F-150 Earns TOP SAFETY PICK


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The 2016 F-150 SuperCrew and SuperCab scored ratings of “good” in all crashworthiness tests, which include small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints and seats. Both trucks also earned scores of “basic” in front crash prevention thanks to the optional forward collision warning system. To qualify for TOP SAFETY PICK+, the 2017 F-150 would need to achieve the same crash test scores and earn a front crash prevention score of “advanced” or “superior.”

“Ford is leading the way among large pickup manufacturers when it comes to protecting people in a range of crashes and offering technology to warn drivers of imminent frontal crashes,” said Raul Arbelaez, vice president of the Institute’s Vehicle Research Center. “We commend Ford for taking last year’s test results to heart and upgrading protection for SuperCab occupants in small overlap crashes.”

Small Overlap Front Ratings

Photo: IIHS.org

In terms of the front overlap crash test, trucks are ranked based on the caveats of structure; restraints and kinematics; and injuries sustained by the crash test dummy to the head and neck, chest, hip and thigh, and lower leg and foot. Ford was the only truck that tested “good” structurally (the Silverado, Sierra, and Tundra double cab models scored “acceptable” while all other trucks scored “moderate” or “poor”), and it was the only truck not to earn a rating of “poor” in terms of lower leg and foot protection.

“Drivers in these pickups would need help freeing their legs from the wreckage following a small overlap crash. We encourage manufacturers to redesign their pickups to resist intrusion in the lower occupant compartment to safeguard people from serious leg and foot injuries that might require months of rehabilitation,” Arbelaez said.


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