The Ram 1500 crew cab has reached a new level of safety with its latest redesign. The 2019 model earns good ratings in all six crashworthiness tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and comes with optional superior-rated front crash prevention.
The previous generation of the truck rated marginal in the driver-side small overlap front test and the roof strength test.
The new Ram 1500 also earns a good rating in the passenger-side small overlap test. The previous version hadn’t been tested for passenger-side protection. Both small overlap ratings apply to trucks built after July, when the cab mounts to the vehicle frame were improved.
The pickup’s roof strength also improved from a marginal rating for the previous model. Two versions of the Ram 1500 — the crew cab and the extended cab — were the worst performers of any 2018 vehicle in roof strength. The vast majority of vehicles earn a good rating in the test, which involves pushing a metal plate against one side of the vehicle’s roof at a slow, constant speed.
An optional front crash prevention system, offered for the first time on the 2019 Ram 1500, earns a superior rating. In IIHS track tests at 12 mph and 25 mph, the vehicle avoided a crash. The system also has a forward collision warning component that meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration criteria.
Despite the improvements, the truck falls short of a TOP SAFETY PICK award because its best available headlights earn only a marginal rating. An acceptable or good headlight rating is required for the 2018 award.
SOURCE: IIHS
