The only large pickup truck with an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating is an EV

So, you’ve decided to buy a pickup truck. Well, you likely care more about a truck’s payload and towing capacity than safety ratings. However, it’s nice to know that your truck can stand up to the crashworthiness standards of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Still, in the large pickup truck category, only one nameplate snagged the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating: the Rivian R1T. 

The Rivian R1T earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2024, beating every other large pickup truck in the segment

The IIHS evaluates vehicles from small cars to large pickup trucks for crashworthiness, crash avoidance/mitigation, seat belt performance, and child restraints. After a vehicle undergoes testing in all of those categories, the agency may assign one of its top awards: the IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+.

As for large pickup trucks, only one nameplate earned an Top Safety Pick+ rating. It’s the 2024 Rivian R1T, a fully-electric large pickup truck riding on a dual-motor or quad-motor platform. In crashworthiness testing, the Rivian pickup truck earned a “good” rating in every subcategory, including the agency’s updated side and front impact tests.

In fact, the only blemish on the R1T’s otherwise spotless IIHS Top Safety Pick+ report card is an “acceptable” rating in the crash avoidance and mitigation category. Specifically, the electric pickup truck failed to earn top marks for its Forward Collision Avoidance Support suite.

Still, the R1T isn’t the only large pickup truck with an award. The Toyota Tundra earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick in the crew cab and extended cab specs. On the other hand, popular options like the RAM 1500 and Ford F-150 failed to earn an award rating.