Work Trucks and Cargo Vans Struggle in First IIHS Crash Avoidance Tests
The work trucks and delivery vans that share DuPage roads every day are now getting the same front crash prevention tests as family cars, and most of them came up short. On October 8, 2026, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released its first vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian crash avoidance ratings for cargo vans and Class 3 pickups. Marginal and poor ratings were common, though IIHS notes that each test had at least one good performer.
IIHS President David Harkey called the results “a wake-up call for commercial vehicle makers.”
Why IIHS is testing work vehicles
IIHS launched its commercial vehicle program in June with driver protection checks, such as standard front and side airbags and seat belt reminders. The institute points out that many government standards for passenger vehicles, including airbag requirements, don’t apply to delivery vans, box trucks, tractor-trailers and larger work pickups.
The stakes are real. According to IIHS, 6,215 people were killed in 2024 in crashes involving heavy- or medium-duty vehicles or light vans, 16% of all U.S. roadway deaths. The new ratings use the same test protocols and good-acceptable-marginal-poor scale as passenger vehicles. Class 3 pickups have a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 to 14,000 pounds.
How the vans and pickups scored
- Best in vehicle-to-vehicle: the 2025 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2500 earned the only good rating. The Chevrolet BrightDrop 400 was acceptable; the rest were marginal or poor.
- Best in pedestrian: the Chevrolet BrightDrop 400 and Rivian RCV-Delivery 500 earned good ratings. The Sprinter 2500, Ford F-350 and Ram 3500 were acceptable.
- Poor in both tests: the Chevrolet Express 2500 and GMC Savana 2500, which lack automatic emergency braking (AEB) and offer only optional forward collision warning.
- Other work pickups: the Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD and GMC Sierra 3500 were poor in vehicle-to-vehicle and marginal for pedestrians. The Ram 3500 was marginal in vehicle-to-vehicle.
The motorcycle target was the toughest challenge: several systems issued no warning and did not slow in most motorcycle trials. In the pedestrian test, some trucks, including the F-350 and Ram 3500, had more trouble with a child dummy in daylight than with an adult at night. IIHS says the tall front ends and sensors mounted near the rearview mirror may explain why the child dummy was sometimes detected at a distance but then lost as the truck got closer.
What this means for you
If you run a work truck or van out of Naperville, Glen Ellyn or Downers Grove, these ratings are worth checking before your next fleet purchase. And for every driver, it’s a reminder that crash avoidance tech only helps when its sensors are working.
On many vehicles, those sensors include a camera near the rearview mirror and radar behind the grille or bumper, right where front-end damage happens. In a separate August 2026 column, IIHS-HLDI noted that crash avoidance sensors are expensive and often require calibration after replacement. If your truck, van or car has been in a front-end collision, the automaker’s repair procedures may call for ADAS calibration after a collision. Our guide on whether a fender bender needs calibration explains when that comes up.
Bumper damage is often the first sign that sensors behind it took a hit. Our front and rear bumper repair page shows what we handle, and our collision repair team serves drivers across DuPage. A warning light, or a driver-assist feature that acts differently after a repair, is a reason to have the vehicle inspected.
To have your vehicle looked at, request a free quote online or call us toll-free at (833) 439-8324 to reach our Naperville, Glen Ellyn and Downers Grove shops.
What comes next
IIHS says it will keep rating Class 3 vehicles this year and next, adding headlight and rear AEB ratings, with larger Class 4-6 trucks phased in later. The work is part of the institute’s goal of cutting U.S. roadway deaths 30% by 2030.
Source
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “Cargo vans and work pickups struggle in IIHS crash avoidance tests,” October 8, 2026.
- IIHS-HLDI, Matt Moore, “How crash avoidance tech simultaneously raises and slashes repair costs,” August 11, 2026.
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