Are SUVs Or Pickup Trucks Safer? (We checked)

Vehicles come with certain specifications that enhance their safety features. However, there are other factors that impact how safe a pickup truck, SUV, or sedan is.

For instance, the weight of your car will play a significant role in ensuring that you’re safe should a head-on collision occur.

If you want to know whether a pickup truck or an SUV is safer, you’re not alone. Although the answer depends on various aspects, there are general considerations to make.

The fact of the matter is that pickup trucks and SUVs are considered safer for different reasons.

Read on to find out about what vehicle is safer between a pickup truck and an SUV for your needs.

Are SUVs or Pickup Trucks Safer?

SUVs are kitted with technology that enhances safety features for modern-day driving. On the other hand, pickup trucks have improvements that ensure driver safety should they get involved in a head-on crash.

Do you sit higher in SUVs or pickup trucks?

SUV drivers enjoy the fact that they get to sit higher than sedan drivers when they drive. On the other hand, pickup trucks have much higher seating. This seating versatility offers various benefits.

The seating position in an SUV or pickup truck is a significant aspect. It’s also one reason why people buy big SUVs.

Depending on the seating position that you opt for, you can experience specific things that affect visibility when driving. Additionally, it can make getting in and out of your car difficult.

A vehicle that’s easier to access should provide more comfort when driving. The last thing you want is to struggle due to how you sit in your SUV or pickup truck.

If you wish to avoid an achy back, the type of seating you choose should ensure comfort and safety.

A lower seating position is one of the leading causes of poor driving posture.

As a result, you’re prone to risk discomfort that affects your back, shoulders, legs, and feet.

Fortunately, buying an SUV or a pickup truck with the versatility of a higher seating position comes with benefits.

The following are posture-related solutions that you should look forward to.

• It helps to support your back.
• It lifts your hips to increase circulation to your back.
• Improves visibility
• Adjusted leg room

Are truck-based SUVs as safe as pickup trucks?

Truck-based SUVs are generally built on a pickup truck chassis with additional safety features. As a result, they come with safety features that you find on most pickup trucks.

Making truck-based SUVs as safe as pickup trucks.

One thing though, SUVs are more prone to rolling over than pickup trucks and sedans.

If you have an untrained eye, you might struggle to tell the difference between some SUVs and pickup trucks.

While they have similarities such as high seating, higher-performing engines, and spacious interiors, the main differences remind you that they’re not one and the same.

For instance, a pickup truck has a massive storage bed while a truck-based SUV has an enclosed cargo space. Essentially, SUVs have more advanced features. The thing about truck-based SUVs is that they provide more safety since they’re tailored for family use compared to conventional pickup trucks.

Do SUVs or pickup trucks handle head-on crashes better?

According to studies, an SUV driver is more likely to survive in a head-on collision.

Due to the improvement of SUV compatibility over the years, it’s likely that a driver of the SUV will survive a car crash if a smaller car is involved.

Another factor that you should consider is that your SUV fares better due to crash ratings conducted on it.

Pickup trucks are more dangerous on roads and can cause heavy accidents.

However, you’re likely to survive when you’re driving a pickup truck. Even though crash ratings assist when thinking of how safety is a big deal, it’s still critical to know the type of safety features that pickup trucks come with.

There are many ways that driving a pickup truck is safer.

The size alone puts these vehicles in a category of safety when a head-on collision takes place. The higher seating position also gives a pickup driver a different view compared to an SUV driver or a smaller car.

There are factors that impact the safety of a vehicle when it’s in a head-on collision. With pickup trucks and SUVs, you should consider other factors such as the following.

• They have raised suspension which offers a higher ride and reduced impact in a car crash.
• A pickup truck or SUV has increased kinetic energy but takes longer to slow down.

There’s a lot that rests on the type of safety technology that your pickup truck or SUV comes with. Generally, the size of the body and the higher ride gives you better safety when you’re involved in a car crash.

As a result, both SUVs and pickup trucks handle head-on crashes better than smaller cars. Also, explore all the reasons cars are safer than motorcycles.

What SUVs and pickup trucks are rated safest?

The safety of your pickup truck or SUV is a priority.

Fortunately, a lot of testing is done by manufacturers to ensure that each new model comes with standard safety features. Pickup trucks have also improved over the years, and they come with advanced features to ensure optimum safety and comfort despite your type of drive.

Most pickup trucks and SUVs receive their safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

There are specific requirements that should be fulfilled to prove that these vehicles are considered the safest in the market.

The following are five pickup trucks and SUVs that are rated the safest.

Our article about whether to buy a Jeep or Pickup Truck also offers some insight on the matter.

Pickup Trucks

The main benefit of having a pickup truck is that its safety is in its size.

The structural frame of this type of truck ensures that it plows through any obstacles on the road, including head-on collisions.

Most importantly, the high seating position of a pickup truck maximizes visibility, which can help avoid accidents.

So far, the safest-rated pickup trucks are the following.

1. GMC Sierra 1500

2. Honda Ridgeline

3. Ram 1500

4. Toyota Tundra

5. Ford F-150

SUVs

SUVs are considered safer when faced with head-on crashes. Most SUVs today share that similarity. In fact, SUVs also all look the same today.

The most important thing that you need to ensure is that your SUV has the latest safety equipment and a robust structural frame.

The following five SUVs are considered the safest currently.

1. 2022 Mazda CX-5

2. 2022 Ford Bronco Sport

3. 2022 Volvo XC90

4. 2022 Genesis GV70

5. 2022/2023 Audi Q5

How safe are SUVs and Pickups compared to sedans?

Nowadays, vehicles have reached new levels of safety. Statistics show that in 1980 there were 22.5 deaths for every 100 000 people.

There are various factors that have ensured the safety of vehicles overall.

When it comes to the safety of SUVs and pickup trucks vs sedans, there are components such as the weight of each vehicle that you need to reassess. What you can do is evaluate the safety ratings according to different size categories.

According to reports, you still find more driver deaths among sedan drivers compared to pickup trucks and SUVs.

The answer lies in the kinetic energy that a lighter vehicle like a sedan has.

As a smaller vehicle decelerates, it feels the impact of the kinetic energy. SUVs and pickup trucks have fewer vehicle fatalities when you compare them to sedans.

Since sedans are equipped with many safety issues, it’s easy to think that they’re a better choice when you’re in a car accident. However, sedans fail to distribute weight adequately.

As a result, when a collision occurs, the driver is prone to fatal injuries compared to an SUV or pickup truck driver.

Even though there are higher chances of a fatality in a sedan compared to a pickup truck and SUV, it doesn’t mean that owning a sedan is dangerous.

You must take careful consideration of the safety features of your sedan before you buy. Also, on a broader note, it’s a great idea to know the reasons cars are safer than planes.

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