Photo: THEPALMER/gettyimages
Arlington, VA — Aiming to expand its efforts involving commercial vehicles, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said it intends to release occupant safety ratings for cargo vans and certain trucks used for work.
In a March 12 essay, IIHS Vice President of Vehicle Research David Kidd says the organization will release ratings this spring for cargo vans and Class 3 pickups that weigh between 10,001 and 14,000 pounds. The institute will evaluate the presence and effectiveness of vehicle safety components such as airbags and advanced seat belts.
Additionally, IIHS said it plans to release results of on-track testing of vehicles’ crash-avoidance capabilities.
Crashes involving heavy- or medium-duty trucks or light vans led to 6,535 deaths in 2023, Kidd says. That represented 16% of roadway fatalities nationwide.
IIHS already provides ratings for passenger vehicles. Kidd cites “gaps in the U.S. vehicle safety system” as a catalyst for expanding to the commercial vehicle sector.
“Many government safety standards that apply to passenger vehicles don’t apply to commercial vehicles, which means they often lack basic features like airbags,” he adds. “There are also no requirements for automatic emergency braking or other advanced driver assistance systems. These systems are particularly important when you consider that most people who die in truck crashes are other road users.”
The essay states that IIHS also is set to begin evaluating side underride guards on semitrailers, building on the tests of rear underrides it has conducted since 2010.
A 2023 analysis from IIHS found that requiring impact guards on the sides of large trucks could save between 159 and 217 lives annually.
McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.
Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication