In a market filled with contenders, the Rivian R1T stands unchallenged as the safest pickup on the road for the third year in a row.
The Rivian R1T continues to dominate the pickup truck segment when it comes to safety, earning the Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the third year in a row. This all-electric pickup has consistently set the bar higher since its debut, and the 2024 award only solidifies its status as one of the safest vehicles on the road today.
One of the main reasons the R1T stands out is its clever design. Unlike traditional pickups, which tend to be top-heavy, the Rivian R1T benefits from having its battery pack placed low along the floor. This gives the truck a low center of gravity, making it much more stable than most other pickups. It’s a key factor in why the R1T performs so well in crash tests and safety evaluations, despite weighing around 7,000 pounds. The truck earned Good ratings across almost all IIHS safety tests, only receiving Acceptable marks in the areas of driver leg/foot injury and rear passenger head protection—minor drawbacks in an otherwise near-perfect scorecard.
The Rivian R1T didn’t just impress with its structure; its suite of safety features also contributed to its high ranking. Standard safety tech like automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control keep the R1T competitive in an industry moving rapidly toward advanced driver assistance systems. Even as IIHS tightened its safety standards for 2024, the R1T managed to hold onto its Top Safety Pick+ status, despite a slight downgrade in pedestrian crash prevention.
While other trucks like the Toyota Tundra and Toyota Tacoma have earned Top Safety Pick honors, no other pickup matches the Rivian R1T for safety in 2024. The R1T remains the only truck to receive the coveted Top Safety Pick+ award this year, standing head and shoulders above its competition.
With prices starting around $70,000, the Rivian R1T truly offers top-tier performance, innovative design, and impressive electric range. The truck can go anywhere from 270 to 410 miles on a single charge, depending on the configuration, and it combines rugged off-road capabilities with modern EV technology. It’s no surprise that the R1T is not only the safest pickup on the market, but also one of the most versatile and forward-thinking.
As Rivian continues to improve its vehicles with over-the-air (OTA) updates, the R1T shows what the future of safety and innovation in the pickup truck market will be like.
