IIHS launches safety ratings for commercial vehicles

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is launching safety ratings for commercial vehicles, starting with cargo vans and Class 3 pickups, as part of a broader effort to address gaps in US road safety standards that leave commercial drivers and other road users at greater risk. The initiative is one of three pillars of the IIHS-HLDI strategic plan, which also focuses on reducing risky behaviour and extending safety to all road users.

In 2023, 6,535 people were killed in crashes involving heavy- or medium-duty trucks or light vans in the US, representing 16% of all roadway fatalities. Unlike passenger vehicles, many commercial vehicles are not required under current government standards to carry airbags or automatic emergency braking systems.

Occupant protection ratings for cargo vans and Class 3 pickups (vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 to 14,000 pounds) are due for release this spring, with crash avoidance test results to follow later in the year. IIHS expects to extend evaluations to box trucks and potentially tractor-trailers in subsequent years.

The organisation also plans new evaluations of side underride guards on semitrailers, building on its Toughguard award programme for rear underride protection launched in 2017. Widespread adoption of side guards could prevent more than 300 deaths annually, according to IIHS. HLDI, its sister organisation, is separately curating insurance loss data for commercial vehicles to help identify safety gaps and effective countermeasures.

Source: IIHS