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The Safest Trucks for 2026: Work Hard, Stay Safe
Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevrolet Silverado don’t qualify.
By Alex Leanse | Illustration By MotorTrend Staff | Apr 09, 2026
The pickup truck market in the United States is dominated by behemoths: the Ford F-150, Ram 1500, and Chevrolet Silverado. These trucks are designed for serious work, hauling, and towing, and many people choose them with the assumption that their size equates to safety. However, this assumption isn’t always accurate. While size offers a degree of protection, the safety of a truck depends on its crashworthiness and the effectiveness of its driver-assist systems, factors validated by independent testing organizations like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
America’s Best Truck Reviews
The landscape of safety standards is continually evolving. The IIHS has recently upgraded its testing protocols, raising the bar for what qualifies as a “safe” truck. For the 2026 model year, only two trucks have achieved the highest designation, Top Safety Pick+, according to the latest testing methodologies. Additionally, two other new models still qualify for the second-best designation, Top Safety Pick, utilizing the 2025 testing procedures. This article explores these leading safety-oriented pickup trucks, providing details on their crash test scores and technological capabilities in the context of America’s best truck reviews.
Understanding Truck Safety in 2026
When examining the safety of pickup trucks, one must look beyond the sheet metal and horsepower ratings. The most significant factors influencing safety are crashworthiness and crash avoidance.
Crashworthiness measures how well a vehicle protects its occupants during a collision. This is assessed through various crash tests, including frontal-offset, side-impact, and roof-strength tests. The IIHS tests its vehicles at both moderate and high speeds to simulate real-world accident scenarios.
Crash avoidance, on the other hand, assesses the vehicle’s ability to prevent accidents from happening in the first place. This is achieved through driver-assist and active safety technologies such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. For many consumers, the availability of advanced safety features is a primary deciding factor when searching for the safest trucks for 2026.
In recent years, pickup truck safety has become a major selling point for manufacturers. Automakers are increasingly integrating sophisticated technology into their truck lineups, recognizing that safety is no longer an optional extra but a fundamental consumer expectation. This push for improved safety is evident in the scoring of vehicles like the Toyota Tundra and Hyundai Santa Cruz, which have received top marks from testing organizations.
The New IIHS Testing Standards
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) periodically updates its testing criteria to keep pace with advancements in vehicle safety. For 2026, the IIHS has significantly enhanced its crashworthiness testing, particularly in the area of side-impact performance. This updated testing methodology provides a more rigorous assessment of how vehicles perform in side-impact crashes, which are disproportionately severe for occupants in larger vehicles.
The updated IIHS criteria require vehicles to achieve a “Good” rating in a more challenging side-impact test that uses a heavier, faster-moving barrier to simulate a collision with a larger vehicle. This change has effectively raised the bar for achieving Top Safety Pick designations. The updated standards evaluate the protection of occupants in the driver’s side rear passenger area, a critical area where crash protection has historically lagged behind the front seats.
The Two Top Performers: Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz
For the 2026 model year, two trucks stand out for their exceptional safety performance.
2026 Ford Maverick
The Ford Maverick has disrupted the truck market since its introduction, offering a compact, unibody design that appeals to a new generation of buyers. Known for its efficiency, affordability, and practical design, the Maverick also delivers impressive safety performance, according to testing by the IIHS and NHTSA.
The 2026 Ford Maverick earns an IIHS Top Safety Pick designation based on its outstanding performance in the updated 2025 testing protocols. This rating is a significant achievement for a compact truck, demonstrating that a smaller, more affordable vehicle can offer excellent crash protection.
In terms of crashworthiness, the Maverick achieves the highest “Good” rating in all crash tests, including the more stringent side-impact test. This is crucial because the Maverick is often driven in urban environments where side-impact crashes are common.
On the NHTSA’s 5-star scale, the 2026 Ford Maverick receives an overall safety rating of five stars. This comprehensive rating validates the truck’s ability to protect occupants from various crash types.
Key Safety Features:
Forward Collision Warning (FCW): Provides an alert when the vehicle detects an imminent collision.
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): Applies the brakes automatically to avoid or mitigate a crash.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW): Alerts the driver when the vehicle drifts out of its lane without signaling.
Lane-Keeping Assist (LKA): Automatically steers the vehicle back into its lane.
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS): Alerts the driver to vehicles in the blind spot.
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA): Warns the driver of approaching vehicles when reversing.
Automatic High Beams: Automatically adjusts high-beam headlights for optimal visibility.
The 2026 Ford Maverick’s safety performance makes it one of the safest compact trucks for 2026 and a strong contender in the broader market for those prioritizing vehicle safety ratings.
2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz
The Hyundai Santa Cruz is another unibody truck that defies the traditional mold of full-size pickups. Combining the versatility of a truck with the driving dynamics and comfort of a crossover, the Santa Cruz has carved out a unique niche in the market. While it competes with the Ford Maverick in size, the Santa Cruz offers more premium features and a higher level of sophistication.
The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz also earns an IIHS Top Safety Pick designation based on the 2025 testing procedures. Like the Maverick, this rating highlights the truck’s effectiveness in crash protection, particularly in the more challenging side-impact scenarios.
Crashworthiness Results:
Driver-side small overlap frontal: Good
Moderate overlap frontal: Good
Side: Good
Roof strength: Good
Head restraints and seats: Good
The Santa Cruz achieves a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA, making it one of the most secure vehicles in its class. This comprehensive validation confirms that the Santa Cruz’s safety performance extends across various crash scenarios, ensuring occupant protection.
Safety and Assist Technology:
Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist: Equipped with pedestrian and cyclist detection.
Lane Keeping Assist: Offers steering assistance to keep the vehicle centered in the lane.
Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist: Detects and helps avoid vehicles in the blind spot.
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist: Warns of and helps avoid approaching traffic when reversing.
Automatic High Beams: Automatically controls high and low beams.
Highway Driving Assist: Semi-autonomous driving technology for highway use.
The 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz is a compelling choice for those seeking safe compact trucks and excellent car safety ratings in a stylish package.
The High-Performing Contenders: 2026 Chevrolet Colorado and Toyota Tacoma
While the updated IIHS testing procedures have elevated the standard for safety, several other trucks perform exceptionally well under current testing protocols, making them strong candidates for those researching safe pickup trucks for 2026.
2026 Chevrolet Colorado
The 2026 Chevrolet Colorado represents a significant leap forward in terms of safety, technology, and refinement. The redesign brings a modern, aggressive exterior, a more refined interior, and improved off-road capability. As one of the most popular mid-size trucks in America, the Colorado’s safety performance is a crucial consideration for potential buyers.
The 2026 Chevrolet Colorado earns an IIHS Top Safety Pick designation based on the 2025 testing protocols. This rating places the Colorado among the top performers in the mid-size truck segment, demonstrating that it offers substantial protection for its occupants.
Crashworthiness Assessment:
Driver-side small overlap frontal: Good
Moderate overlap frontal: Good
Side: Acceptable
Roof strength: Good
Head restraints and seats: Good
The Colorado achieves a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA, reinforcing its position as a safe and reliable choice. This comprehensive rating ensures that the Colorado is well-equipped to handle a variety of crash scenarios.
Standard Safety and Assist Features:
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): Includes front pedestrian braking with automatic braking functionality.
Lane Departure Warning: Warns the driver when drifting out of the lane.
Lane Keep Assist: Provides gentle steering correction to keep the vehicle in the lane.
Automatic High Beams: Automatically adjusts headlights for optimal visibility.
Following Distance Indicator: Displays the time gap to the vehicle ahead.
