The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced on March 13 new efforts to improve the safety of commercial vehicles, including the launch of safety ratings for cargo vans and large pickups. David Kidd, Vice President of Vehicle Research at IIHS, outlined these plans in a statement addressing the risks posed by work vehicles such as tractor-trailers, box trucks, and delivery vans.
Commercial vehicles accounted for 16% of all roadway fatalities in the United States in 2023, with 6,535 deaths involving heavy- or medium-duty trucks or light vans. Kidd said that improving the safety of these vehicles is crucial to achieving IIHS’s goal of reducing fatalities by 30% by 2030. He noted that many government safety standards do not apply to commercial vehicles, resulting in a lack of basic features like airbags and advanced driver assistance systems.
Kidd said, “This combination of a safety gap and the opportunity for relatively quick improvements prompted IIHS-HLDI to make accelerating commercial vehicle safety one of three pillars of our strategic plan last year, along with reducing risky behavior and extending safety to everyone.” He added that IIHS will release occupant protection ratings this spring based on equipment such as airbags and seat belts and will publish crash avoidance test results later. The organization also plans to expand evaluations to include box trucks and potentially tractor-trailers in coming years.
IIHS has previously influenced industry standards through its Toughguard award for rear underride guards on semitrailers. According to Kidd, “At first, trailers from only one manufacturer qualified for the award. Today, almost every new dry van trailer earns the Toughguard badge.” The institute now aims to encourage adoption of side underride guards through updated criteria.
Fleets are seen as key players in advancing vehicle technology. Kidd said intelligent speed assistance is gaining traction among fleet managers and that research funded by IIHS is promoting best practices for its use. In parallel with testing programs, HLDI—an affiliated organization—is collecting insurance loss data on commercial vehicles to help identify effective countermeasures.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has played a role in reducing road fatalities through advancements in vehicle safety and driver behavior research according to its official website. The organization operates the Vehicle Research Center in Ruckersville, Virginia for crash tests and assessments as reported by IIHS. It was created by three major insurance associations representing most U.S. auto insurers according to IIHS.
The institute seeks to minimize deaths, injuries, and property damage from crashes through research aimed at consumers, policymakers, and professionals as stated by IIHS. Its efforts have influenced primary seat belt laws and graduated driver licensing across multiple states according to IIHS. In 2009 it marked its 50th anniversary with a crash test comparing a 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air with a modern car to highlight progress in vehicle safety as reported by IIHS.
Kidd concluded: “Advancing commercial vehicle safety is a cornerstone of IIHS-HLDI’s plan to reduce crash deaths in the U.S. Through independent evaluation and evidence-based guidance, we aim to help businesses and communities make safer choices.”
