Saddle Tramp
Moderator
Throwing the fox into the henhouse here.
Should pickup truck crash safety tests be done with the full load in the bed?
Should pickup truck crash safety tests be done with the full load in the bed?
Crazy thought about safety ratings
- Thread starter Saddle Tramp
- Start date
It is a good question. Turns out, they do that kind of testing in other markets. I know this from the Honda Ridgeline. I was talking with the chief engineer about the truck and we somehow got on the topic of crash testing. The Ridgeline has a big sheet of metal sitting behind the cabin before the bed starts. Why? To stop bricks from flying into the cabin. Turns out other markets test for this kind of scenario. Since the Ridgeline is from a global company and a conservative one as well, they decided to test the safety of the truck to the more stringent standard. #themoreyouknow
You can make it out with the photos from this article I wrote years ago. It is the long metal piece below the window. Keep in mind, the Ridgeline's bed sits higher than a traditional truck bolted to the frame, so that's why there's a gap below the metal. That's where the bed deck slides in.
Saddle Tramp
Moderator
Interesting 
Hilux
Well-known member
There was Chevy medium duty box truck at the local fish processor that had a tote of fish slam through the back of the cab because the driver left the tote at the rear of the box and had a hard brake, it went through the front of the box and made a big dent in the back of the cab big enough that it pushed the seat forward.
Good point but then do you need to load the trunk of car or back of an SUV to max payload? Obviously, they would be less safe for occupants but how would it affect the car damage? Only one way to find out.