Not too many years ago, the newest and best safety innovations were nearly all installed on cars, while truck owners waited for the features to become popular enough to justify design changes required to put them on pickups. Thankfully, that's no longer the case, because today's trucks have all the safety systems that top cars have, and the systems are designed specifically for the needs of a pickup.
1. Side Impact Protection
A growing number of trucks are now available with side curtain airbags. The bags are mounted along the interior roofline, above the door. When activated during a side impact or roll-over, the airbags drop down to protect your head. Most 4WD drive trucks have a switch that lets you either turn the side airbag protection off or make it less sensitive, so that the system won't inflate during off-road maneuvers.Some manufacturers offer seat-mounted side airbags for front occupants (in addition to side curtain units) to add even more protection during a side impact.
2. Vehicle Stability Control
Different methods and systems are used to provide stability control (VSC), but they all monitor the truck's movements and the G-forces encountered during a drive. When a stability control system detects abnormal movements or conditions, it adjusts throttle response and brake pressure at individual to help maintain or regain control. Each manufacturer has it's own stability control design.3. Trailer Sway Control
Some pickup trucks equipped with vehicle stability control are also outfitted with trailer sway control. If a trailer begins to sway enough to make the back of the truck move from side-to-side, the VSC kicks in to adjust braking and/or throttle to help stabilize the truck.4. Cab Safety Cage Design
Manufacturers are building trucks with cocoon-like cab structures that resemble a roll-cage. This reinforced design encapsulates the cab, providing better protection to the driver and passengers during a crash. The enhanced cab structure is usually supplemented with crush zones that are designed to absorb crash energy before it gets to the cage.5. Improved Seat Belt Systems
Seat belts have evolved. Instead of static belts anchored to the body of the vehicle, they now have pre-tensioners that tighten to remove slack when an accident occurs, reducing that initial harsh impact of body-against-belt. Some manufacturers go a step further by installing pre-tensioners that ease off as the impact progresses, absorbing some of the force that would normally be transferred from belt-to-body.All trucks have shoulder belts for outboard positions, but some pickups also have them for center seat passengers.
