Updated crash tests show back seat passengers face higher risks than those up front
Stricter standards cut the number of Top Safety Pick award winners to 48, down from 71 last year
Only two large pickups — the Rivian R1T and Toyota Tundra — made the 2025 list
Back seat protection falls behind
Minivans and pickups are falling short when it comes to protecting rear seat passengers, according to new safety testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The group’s 2025 Top Safety Pick awards reveal that belted adults riding in the back seat of newer vehicles face a higher risk of fatal injury compared with those in the front. The shortfall reflects how much faster automakers have improved front-seat safety features, leaving the back seat lagging behind.
IIHS now requires that second-row occupants have protection equal to what’s offered in the front. As a result, only 48 vehicles earned safety awards this year — down from 71 at this point in 2024.
SUVs dominate, minivans and pickups falter
Small and midsize SUVs claimed the majority of honors, with 12 vehicles earning the “Top Safety Pick” rating and the rest achieving the higher “Top Safety Pick Plus.”
But the picture was bleak for other categories. Not a single minivan, large car, small pickup, or minicar made the list. Only two large pickups — the Rivian R1T and Toyota Tundra — qualified under the tougher rules.
Detroit automakers struggled as well. Ford landed two models — the Mustang Mach-E and Lincoln Nautilus — in the Top Safety Pick Plus category, while Chevrolet’s Traverse managed a Top Safety Pick. Stellantis failed to place any vehicles.
What to know
Back seat safety lags: IIHS finds rear passengers in new vehicles face higher risks than those in the front.
Tougher standards shrink the list: Only 48 vehicles won Top Safety Pick awards this year, down from 71 in 2024.
SUVs shine, minivans flop: Small and midsize SUVs dominated, while no minivans or small pickups qualified.
Few pickups make the cut: Only the Rivian R1T and Toyota Tundra passed the new tests.
Detroit 3 struggle: Ford placed two models, Chevrolet one, and Stellantis none.
Key tech missing in back seats: Features like pre-tensioners and load limiters, common up front, are rare in the rear.
Automakers urged to step up
IIHS President David Harkey said he was disappointed with the lack of strong performers from U.S. brands, particularly in family-oriented vehicles such as minivans.
“Some of the automakers behind vehicles advertised as family-friendly need to step up and make improvements quickly,” he said.
Harkey pointed to two key safety technologies that are now common in the front seat but rare in the back: pre-tensioner belts, which tighten before a collision to position passengers properly, and load limiters, which loosen slightly during impact to reduce chest injuries.
How the tests worked
IIHS researchers simulated head-on collisions at 40 mph with 40% overlap, measuring how well seat belts protected rear passengers. A new, smaller crash-test dummy — representing either a petite woman or a 12-year-old child — was placed behind the driver to highlight risks to smaller occupants.
The tests tracked chest injuries, abdominal trauma from “submarining” under the lap belt, and how far forward a passenger’s head traveled on impact.
“It wasn’t that the back seat has become less safe — it’s just that we’ve continued to make all these advancements in the front seat, and we’ve left the back seat behind,” Harkey said.
Bottom line for families
Despite the weaker scores, IIHS continues to recommend the back seat as the safest place for children under 13. Still, the findings highlight how far automakers must go to bring rear passenger protection in line with the front.