IIHS commends Ford, Toyota, for pickup roofs

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently revealed the test results of its new roof-strength procedure for pickup trucks, and Ford and Toyota now have something to brag about.

The group, which runs safety tests for every vehicle, found that the Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra were the best of the bunch when it came to roof strength, with both cars earning the top rating of "good" in the tests. Roof strength is seen as one of the key components for surviving rollover crashes, and thus the IIHS has began incorporating roof strength into its safety considerations.

In the latest batch of testing, the crew-cab models of the most popular pickup trucks were put to the test. After Toyota and Ford, the Nissan Titan was awarded with an "acceptable" commendation. The trucks bringing up the rear were all American models: the Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Ram and GMC Sierra all only managed "marginal" ratings.

The news is certainly good for Ford and Toyota, but the IIHS cautions that the rating only applies to the newest Ford F-150s, specifically those manufactured after February of this year. Ford made some major changes to its roof recently in order to make it stronger, which were seen as key in the automaker passing the test.

Drivers interested in a used pickup should do their research on safety before buying. Fortunately, there's plenty of crash test data available from the IIHS and other sources, which date back several years.