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The safest trucks for 2026: work hard, stay safe
Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevrolet Silverado don’t qualify.
Alex LeanseWriterRyan LugoIllustration ByMotorTrend StaffPhotographerApr 09, 2026
Many pickup trucks are large, heavy, and robustly engineered, providing some built-in safety benefit. That doesn’t necessarily mean every truck is safe. A select few are the best pickup trucks for crash avoidance and protection in testing by Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
IIHS has updated its testing methods, and only two trucks meet the latest standards to earn 2026 Top Safety Pick+ status, the best possible designation. However, two other new trucks still qualify for the second-best Top Safety Pick accolade based on 2025 testing procedures. We list those here, along with relevant scores on NHTSA’s five-star scale.
2026 Toyota Tundra TRD PRo 1
2026 Toyota Tundra
In terms of truck stuff, the Toyota Tundra is something of an also-ran, trailing its rivals in driving refinement, all-terrain potential, and towing and hauling capability. Then again, none of its main full-size truck rivals offer the same safety reassurance. The Tundra still has merits, like its spacious cabin, strong twin-turbo V-6 with available hybrid assistance, reconfigurable gauge display, and burly exterior design.
In Crew Cab configuration, the Toyota Tundra earns IIHS Top Safety Pick designation and a five-star overall safety score. The smaller Extended Cab gets the top Good score in various crashworthiness tests but isn’t rated by NHTSA. All versions are equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 driver assist and active safety features, which include front automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, and automatic high-beams. On higher-end Tundra models, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert with trailer coverage are added.
Read Our Experts’ Full Toyota Tundra Review
006 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
Some say it’s not a “real” pickup, but the unibody-based Hyundai Santa Cruz might be the right truck for certain drivers. Combining a crossover’s driving manners with bed utility benefits makes the Santa Cruz a nice companion for daily chores, weekend getaways, and home projects. In this category of compact trucks, the Ford Maverick is better, but it doesn’t earn safety scores as high as the Santa Cruz’s.
The 2026 Santa Cruz receives IIHS 2025 Top Safety Pick status and NHTSA five-star overall designation. Its standard safety and assist features include front automatic emergency braking, rear and side cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic high-beams.
Read Our Experts’ Full Hyundai Santa Cruz Review
016 2024 Tesla Cyberbeast
2026 Tesla Cybertruck
With its sharp-edged stainless-steel body, the Tesla Cybertruck looks like it could cause cuts if you’t careful. However, occupants are very safe inside, as the 2026 Cybertruck earns Top Safety Pick+ and a five-star overall score. This pickup is unconventional but offers clever storage, a comfortable ride, and excellent handling thanks in part to its all-wheel steering system.
Like every Tesla, the Cybertruck is equipped with many driver assist and active safety features, such as front automatic emergency braking, obstacle-aware acceleration, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and a rain-sensing windshield wiper (singular). Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology is available for extra cost.
Read Our Experts’ Full Tesla Cybertruck Review
021 2025 Rivian R1T Dual
2026 Rivian R1T
Combining luxurious refinement, off-road capability, and sporty performance, the Rivian R1T is an electric truck that will delight any driver. What’s more, it functions well as a pickup, too, providing lifestyle-ready utility, clever storage, and solid towing capability. Range and charging are pretty good, as well, regardless of which of its several powertrains is equipped.
The 2026 R1T earns Top Safety Pick status using IIHS’ 2025 criteria. Automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beams are among its standard active safety and driver assist features. Rivian continues to develop its self-driving technology, leveraging the R1T’s many cameras, sensors, and redundant controls to ensure safety.
Read Our Experts’ Full Rivian R1T Review
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Alex Leanse
Alex’s earliest memory is of a teal 1993 Ford Aspire, the car that sparked his automotive obsession. He’s never driven that tiny hatchback—at six feet, 10 inches tall, he likely wouldn’t fit—but has assessed hundreds of other vehicles, sharing his insights on MotorTrend as a writer and video host.
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The Safest Trucks for 2026: Prioritizing Driver Protection in the Pickup Segment
In the dynamic landscape of the American automotive market, the pickup truck segment remains a titan of consumer preference, driven by a powerful confluence of versatility, utility, and unwavering durability. From the sprawling ranches of Texas to the bustling construction sites of the Northeast, truck buyers are not just seeking a vehicle for work; they are investing in a lifestyle defined by capability and resilience.
This unwavering demand for pickups has naturally fueled intense innovation in truck safety features, with manufacturers continually investing in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and structural engineering to meet increasingly stringent regulatory standards and consumer expectations. As we navigate the 2026 pickup truck safety rankings, it is crucial to recognize that size alone does not guarantee protection. A vehicle’s vehicle safety ratings are the true litmus test of its ability to safeguard occupants during unforeseen incidents, requiring a rigorous evaluation by authoritative bodies such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Truck Safety Standards
The landscape of truck safety evaluation is not static. The IIHS has recently undergone a critical evolution in its testing methodologies, primarily by enhancing its crash-avoidance and mitigation testing protocols. This updated framework has significantly raised the bar for earning the prestigious Top Safety Pick+ designation—the highest possible commendation. The updated standards prioritize real-world crash scenarios that are prevalent in the pickup truck segment, necessitating a higher degree of sophistication in collision avoidance technologies.
Furthermore, as automotive manufacturers prepare for the 2026 model year, there is a noticeable trend toward integrating best new truck safety features not just as optional extras but as integral components of the vehicle platform. This shift is a direct response to the intensifying competition among leading automakers, all vying to capture the lucrative new truck safety market share by offering the most comprehensive protection packages.
The Hierarchy of Pickup Safety Recognition: A Detailed Breakdown
The rigorous evaluation process conducted by the IIHS serves as the definitive barometer for automotive safety. To understand the hierarchy of these ratings, we must differentiate between the two highest designations:
Top Safety Pick+ (TSP+)
This is the pinnacle of automotive safety recognition. Vehicles earning the TSP+ designation have performed exceptionally well across a spectrum of challenging crashworthiness and crash-avoidance tests, reflecting the highest level of commitment to occupant protection. The IIHS criteria for 2026 have been recalibrated to incorporate more demanding metrics for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian crash prevention, as well as headlight performance.
Top Safety Pick (TSP)
While the second-highest accolade, the TSP designation still signifies a superior level of safety. Vehicles that achieve this status have demonstrated strong performance in crashworthiness and collision mitigation. It is important to note that some of the most highly anticipated full-size pickup safety ratings for 2026 may appear under the TSP classification if they were evaluated under the revised 2025 testing criteria, highlighting a transition period as manufacturers adapt to the new standards.
The Top-Performing Pickups in the 2026 Safety Arena
While many familiar nameplates dominate the best-selling pickup charts, a closer look at the safest pickups for 2026 reveals a selection of leaders that prioritize driver protection. The most notable newcomers to the top safety tier include the 2026 Toyota Tundra, the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, the 2026 Tesla Cybertruck, and the 2026 Rivian R1T. It is essential to note that popular staples such as the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevrolet Silverado did not qualify for the highest safety designations in the latest evaluations, primarily due to their positioning within the rankings rather than a lack of safety engineering.
The 2026 Tesla Cybertruck: A Paradigm of Futuristic Safety Technology
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