Pickup Truck Safety: Statistics You Need to Know

According to the Ohio Department of Safety, there are more than 200 deaths each year in the U.S. associated with riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that pickup truck occupants are three times more likely to be involved in rollover crashes than in other types of vehicles. The largest number of vehicle fatalities and injuries are caused by rollover crashes.

Are pickups simply not as safe as cars and SUVs? It turns out that the fatality rates have little to do with a pickup's design. They have more to do with the use of safety belts. While safety belt laws have consistently become more stringent in all 50 states over the past ten years, according to the NCSA, only 69% of occupants in pickups were wearing safety belts by June 2003, compared to 81% of passenger car occupants and 83% of SUV and van occupants. The Ohio Department of Public Safety reports that your chance of surviving a crash in a motor vehicle is 25 times higher if seatbelts are used.

Theories abound about the reason pickup truck occupants are less likely to practice seatbelt use, thus increasing their own risk. For many who are using their pickup trucks for work (hauling and farming), the drivers tend to drive short distances and get in and out of the vehicle often. Throughout the course of the day, putting the seatbelt on and taking it off could be considered cumbersome. Another theory is that some families, particularly living in rural areas, use their older model pickups as the vehicle used for family outings. Because many of these pickups do not have adequate room for all the passengers inside the cab, some of the passengers travel in the cargo area. While this is illegal in many states and restricted to speed conditions and age of the passengers in other states, it still happens.

Fortunately, newer model pickup trucks have been designed with passenger safety and convenience in mind. For example, the popular Isuzu i-290 offers a 3-passenger 60/40 split-bench front seat with integrated outboard head restraints and the Isuzu i-370 Crew Cab offers rear 3-point seatbelts and 3-point middle seatbelt for passenger protection.

Other safety features include daytime running lights and dual stage airbags.

Although finding a truck that "lasts" means it's a quality vehicle, the problem with driving older model cars is not with their performance. Safety guidelines, for the most part, have evolved more rapidly in the past ten years than in decades previous.

Consumers and the government are holding pickup manufacturers to higher safety regulations in response to the vast number of preventable fatalities. A pickup manufactured prior to 1990 will be short many of these new safety features and simply cannot protect the safety of its occupants as well as newer pickup trucks do.

If you're driving an older model pickup truck, you are urged to consider after-market upgrades to make your vehicle more safe for passengers, or to consider purchasing or leasing a newer model pickup.

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Pickup Trucks: How to Transport Cargo Safely

Most people who buy pickup trucks are interested in the ability to haul cargo easily. Many are farmers, construction workers, movers, or otherwise. But how many times have you been speeding down the highway or interstate only to come up on a pickup truck and realize that the driver has not properly secured the cargo he or she is carrying? Unsecured cargo has been the cause of many fatality and non-fatality accidents, and these accidents were completely preventable.

What is the best way to secure cargo in the bed of a pickup? Here are some tips.

Use a cargo net. For only $60, Isuzu sells a Bed Web Net made of a tough elastic material and designed to stretch. The mount hardware is included and installation is easy. The net keeps cargo from flying out or sliding out of the back even during hard stops or fast turns.

Buy a bed extender. Designed for the Isuzu i-370, the Bed Extender, made of steel, retails for well under $300 and gives pickup owners additional truck bed length. This particular bed extender has the ability to swing in to provide a contained cargo area as well.

Bed Covers work well too. Many pickup models also can be accessorized with bed covers that not only keep cargo inside, but help to hide it and prevent theft as well.

Cargo Sports Bags are another option. These are often used in SUVs as well and do an excellent job of keeping smaller items from rolling around or flying out of pickup truck cargo beds.

Use a safety flag or light. Laws differ by state, but many require a red cargo flag or safety light be used when transporting cargo that extends beyond the cargo bed of a pickup. For example, in the state of California, when the load on any vehicle extends at least four feet from the rear of the pickup's body, the driver must use a fluorescent orange flag, or solid red flag at least twelve inches by twelve inches at the extreme end of the load. In addition, if the vehicle is operating after dusk, there must also be two lighted red lights at the end of the load visible at minimum of 500 feet to the side and the rear of the vehicle for safety.

It's also important to keep in mind that using these precautions, as well as others will protect the cargo itself. When hauling cargo, it's important to drive more cautiously than normal and make slow, steady turns. The added weight of your load can make turning more difficult and brakes may not respond as quickly or efficiently as when driving without cargo.

Every pickup truck has cargo weight guidelines. It's extremely important to obey these guidelines. While it might not be simple to actually weigh the load you plan to haul, it is better to err on the side of caution if estimating. Hauling additional weight beyond the manufacturer's guideline can significantly increase your chance of an accident or damage to your vehicle. There is also a chance you could be ticketed by law enforcement for hauling a load heavier than your pickup is designed to carry.

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