New Ram 1500 Is the Safest Big Truck on the Road

Ram 1500 is the first pickup to earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick+, scoring at the top of every test and category.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently announced the results of their intensive crash safety tests on the 2020 Ram 1500 and the results were very good. The new half-ton received the highest score in every crash test while the high-tech crash avoidance systems received top honors as well, leading to the Ram 1500 being the first full-sized pickup to earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ ranking. As the highest possible ranking in the IIHS system, the 2020 Ram 1500 is the safest truck ever while also being one of the safest new models on sale today.

“This recognition validates our unrelenting efforts to deliver more value for our customers,” says Reid Bigland, Head of Ram Brand. “The new Ram 1500 has earned many accolades for its capability and design. It is immensely satisfying to have the IIHS recognize our truck for its compelling safety story.”

Ram Is Good in a Crash

When you think about the safest vehicles on sale today, it seems like an understatement to say that they are “good”, but that is the highest mark that a vehicle can get in the IIHS crashworthiness tests. There are six of those crash tests and the new Ram truck scored “good” in every single one, including three front-end impacts, a side impact, a rear-end impact and a rollover.

The 2020 Ram 1500 has a unique splayed front frame rail design that played a part in the strong scored in the IIHS crash tests, but the truck had to succeed in other areas in order to receive the Top Safety Pick+ and those other areas are where Ram outshined the competition.

Technology Scores High

In all fairness, it should be noted that the Ford F-150 also scored “good” in all six IIHS crash tests, but it did not receive the Top Safety Pick+ ranking. That is because headlights are also included in the overall scoring and when the IIHS tested the F-150, they scored the headlights “poor”, which is the lowest possible rating.

On the other hand, the 2020 Ram 1500 scored “good” in the headlight category, securing the Top Safety Pick+ title, but there are even more accolades from the IIHS. Ram’s Forward Collision Mitigation system was scored “superior” by the IIHS for its use of both forward-facing camera systems and radar to detect anything in the path. This system begins by alerting the driver that there is a possibility of an impact, like when someone pulls out in front of you in traffic, and if the driver doesn’t react quickly enough, the truck will automatically apply the brakes to avoid the collision.

So, if you want the safest half-ton truck in America, you want to be looking at high-end trim levels of the 2020 Ram 1500 with all of the advanced safety tech, as it is unrivaled in the segment.

Photos: Fiat-Chrysler

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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