The
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put pickup truck headlights to the test and found that the majority of them were equipped with subpar units. The 2017
Honda Ridgeline was the only truck to earn a rating of “good.”
The large pickup truck test was comprised of the: 2016 to 2017
GMC Sierra, 2017
Nissan Titan, 2016
Ram 1500, 2016 to 2017
Chevrolet Silverado, 2016 to 2017
Ford F-150, and 2016 to 2017
Toyota Tundra. The Sierra’s headlights earned a rating of “acceptable,” the headlights found on the Titan and Ram 1500 were found to be “marginal,” and the ones on the Silverado, F-150, and Tundra were rated as “poor.”
IIHS claims the F-150 was the most disappointing out of the large pickup trucks as both its halogen and optional LED headlights failed to provide adequate visibility during testing. The Ridgeline (which earned a “good rating”), is usually considered a midsize or small truck, though IIHS included it in the field of large pickups.
The headlights on the 2016
Chevrolet Colorado, 2016
GMC Canyon, 2016
Nissan Frontier, and 2016 to 2017
Toyota Tacoma, which made up the small pickup truck group, all earned a rating of “poor.” The IIHS claimed the Colorado had the worst headlights of any truck that was tested, as the base vehicle’s units were only able to illuminate up to 123 feet in front of the car. The Ridgeline’s headlights, for reference, were able to illuminate up to 358 feet in front of the vehicle.
To conduct its test, the IIHS utilizes a special tool to measure how far light is projected out of the headlights in different driving situations. The trucks’ headlights were tested in a straight line and in corners, while vehicles with high-beam assist were given extra praise.
The headlights on the pickup trucks also mimic the
testing that was done on small SUVs and
cars earlier this year. Next year, automakers will need to fit their vehicles with headlights that earn a rating of either good or acceptable to earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick+.
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