Small Pickups Fare Poorly in Study
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - Pickup trucks have the image of being rugged and
dependable, but a study released today has found that some small pickups are
also susceptible to sizable damage in 5 mph crash tests.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that the Toyota Tacoma,
little brother to Toyota's T-100 full-size truck, sustained $4,361 in damages
over four tests. They included driving forward and backwards into a flat
barrier, forward into an angled barrier and backwards into a pole.
Even the best of the five small pickups tested, the Chevrolet S-10 LS,
sustained $2,246 in damage. The other trucks tested were the Ford Ranger XLT
($2,952 in total damages), the Dodge Dakota Sport ($3,863) and the Nissan
Frontier XE ($3,867).
The institute, which is sponsored by the insurance industry, said the trucks
sustained the damage because most are equipped with rigid bumpers. Cars have
bumpers that contain energy-absorbing materials such as foam.
``People may think that pickup trucks are tough. But they quickly find out
this isn't true when they bump into something at a slow speed and then have to
shell out thousands of dollars to repair the damage,'' said Adrian Lund, the
institute's senior vice president.
A General Motors spokesman took issue with the tests, noting they were
conducted at 5 mph when the current bumper safety standard is 2.5 m
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