American pick-up trucks face tougher scrutiny in Australia following new crash-testing rules set to be introduced in 2029.
The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) will turn its sights on large US-style pick-ups and other heavy vehicles becoming more common in Australia.
ANCAP chief executive Carla Hoorweg said the growing presence of these vehicles raised questions about their safety.
“We didn’t really know what the safety pedigree is like on those big utes,” Carla said.
“They’re pretty new into the market.”
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ANCAP has increasingly assessed large utes from brands including Ford, Ram, Chevrolet, and Toyota in response to community backlash over the risk they pose to smaller vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists.
But 2029 protocols will bring a sharper focus on blind spots and what safety experts call “direct vision” – the vision a driver can see through windows rather than cameras and digital mirrors.
Under the new protocols, vehicles will be penalised for features that block a driver’s view, including very thick A-pillars, large rear-view mirrors and high bonnet lines.
The new rules will be developed alongside Euro NCAP, with the two safety bodies agreeing improved visibility around a vehicle is one of the most effective ways to reduce serious crashes.
Euro NCAP technical director Richard Schram confirmed manufacturers are striving to be “better crash partners,” but warned they’d still face penalties for “over-the-top” designs.
“You practically cannot see anything in front of you,” Richard said.
“Even things like very thick A pillars or big rear-view mirror are blocking your front view.
“They will be penalised depending on how we develop the procedure and what we see as feasible.
“We still believe in the safe driving area where the driver can see, that’s the best thing that can happen.”
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The tougher standards also reflect growing concern about the danger large utes can pose to other road users in a collision.
Safety experts have busted the myth that heavier vehicles are inherently safer.
A US report released in 2025 found motorists were 20 per cent more likely to be killed in a crash involving a super-sized SUV weighing more than 5000 pounds, or about 2277kg.
In Australia, popular ‘American-style’ utes like the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 can weigh as much as 2,500kg.
And some utes, like the Chevrolet Silverado, lack lifesaving technologies such as reverse autonomous emergency braking, cyclist detection, and advanced driver monitoring systems, ANCAP revealed in 2025.
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Plans to test large utes date back to 2023.
Euro NCAP Secretary General, Michiel van Ratingen, said at the time that testing of huge pick-up trucks should focus on the risk they pose to other road users.
“For passenger cars, most of them kill people inside the vehicle, so you have to basically protect them inside the vehicle,” he said in 2023.
“For heavier vehicles, the problem is primarily outside the vehicle because they kill a lot of people, vulnerable road users and people in other cars.”
