Frauds, Fakes, Or Fabulous
Jul 24, 2008 6:35 pm US/Eastern
High Marks For Toyota Tacoma In Side Crash Tests
Toyota Tacoma Rated "Good"
Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger, & Nissan Frontier Rated "Marginal"
Chevrolet Colorado Rated "Poor"
ARLINGTON, VA (CBS4) ―
If you are thinking of buying a small pickup truck, you may want to check out its side-impact safety rating.
Small pickups have the highest driver death rates of any other vehicles on the road, especially in side-impact collisions, which are the second most type of fatal crash.
Of the five small trucks tested by the Insurance
Institute for Highway Safety, three trucks: The Dodge Dakota, the Ford Ranger and the Nissan Frontier earned only 'marginal' ratings. And one truck, the Chevy Colorado, which is also sold as the GMC Canyon, received the lowest rating of 'poor.'
The Institute's President Adrian Lund says the reason is because these trucks come with only optional or no side airbags at all.
"When you're hit from the side, there's nothing between your head and whatever's coming in, other than that side airbag. Side airbags should be standard equipment," said Lund.
Only one small truck, the Toyota Tacoma, earned the institute's highest rating of 'good.' The Tacoma was tested only with its optional side airbags, an exception to normal policy because such airbags will be standard in 2009 Tacoma pickups being shipped to dealers this month.
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