The GMC Sierra, GMC’s flagship light-duty pickup, is one of the country’s most popular trucks in its class. Able to handle your everyday driving like a pro, the Sierra also has enough power to handle most towing and hauling jobs you may come across, without having to sacrifice your comfort. Since it’s so popular as an everyday vehicle, it must have pretty good safety features, right? Let’s take a look.

How did it rate with the NHTSA?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gives vehicles a rating, with five stars being the best. The 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 was given an overall four out of five stars.

The first crash test that the NHTSA does is the frontal crash. Here, the truck is put in a simulated scenario where it would be involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle of the same size, with each party moving at 35 mph. They perform the test twice, ranking both the front driver side and the front passenger side, then they combine the scores. The GMC Sierra here scored four stars.

Another category of testing the NHTSA has is the side crash category, made up of the side barrier and side pole barrier ratings. The side barrier test puts the truck in a scenario where it would be involved in an intersection collision. One vehicle is stationary and one vehicle is moving at 38.5 mph. The side pole barrier test simulates if the truck were to strike a standing object like a tree or a utility pole. Combined, the GMC Sierra scored four stars in this category.

The final test for the NHTSA is the rollover test, where they determine how likely it would be for a vehicle to have a rollover occur during a one-vehicle loss-of-control scenario. The Sierra scored four stars here, with a 19.1% likelihood of rolling over in their simulation.

What did the IIHS think about the GMC Sierra?

Another safety organization, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also rated the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500. For their crash tests, they ranked the truck as “good” in all categories except for the front passenger side. In their simulated head-on collision, they found that “the dummy’s position in relation to the door frame and dashboard after the crash test indicates that the passenger’s survival space was not maintained well.” This could put the passenger at risk in a head-on collision. They rated his category as “marginal.”

The GMC Sierra got a “poor” rating from the IIHS concerning its headlights. They found that the truck’s visibility on straightaway roads was fair on the right side of the road and good on the left. On curved roads, visibility was inadequate overall.

They also felt that the ease of use for the child seat anchors was not up to par, giving it a “marginal” rating. They found them difficult to locate and use.

What safety features does the GMC Sierra have?

The GMC Sierra offers many optional safety features that we think are always worth adding. Their lane departure warning gives you a reminder when you veer out of your lane, allowing you to correct your driving an avoid an accident. Their forward collision warning gives you a warning if the vehicle in front of you stops suddenly, giving you a few extra seconds to react. Similarly, the crash imminent braking will apply the brakes for you if it detects the same situation, also giving you extra time to react and avoid a collision.

The overall safety of the GMC Sierra is comparable to its competitors. Four out of five stars from the NHTSA is still a good rating, so the Sierra is a great option for your everyday vehicle.