How safe is the Ram 1500 crew cab short bed?
Drivers of the 2020–2023 Ram 1500 crew cab short bed died at a rate of 28 per million registered vehicle years, 24% lower than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it close to the middle of the pack for driver safety: it ranks 78th of 129 vehicles, safer than 40% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the Ram 1500 crew cab short bed sits among all 129 vehicles
Ram 1500 crew cab short bed (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on plenty of data, so this ranking is reliable.
2WD vs. 4WD
IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.
| Version | Deaths* | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Ram 1500 crew cab short bed 2WD | 31 | 8–53 |
| Ram 1500 crew cab short bed 4WD | 28 | 21–35 |
Vehicles ranked near the Ram 1500 crew cab short bed
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75 | Acura RDXLuxury SUV · Midsize | 27 | 42 |
| 76 | Honda Passport 4WDSUV · Midsize | 27 | 41 |
| 77 | Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport 4WDSUV · Midsize | 26 | 40 |
| 78 | Ram 1500 crew cab short bedPickup · Large | 28 | 40 |
| 79 | Ford Maverick hybrid SuperCrew 2WDPickup · Small | 27 | 39 |
| 80 | Jeep Cherokee 4WDSUV · Midsize | 28 | 38 |
| 81 | Mazda CX-30 4WDSUV · Small | 28 | 38 |
How it compares with other pickups
Among the 23 pickups ranked, the Ram 1500 crew cab short bed is 18th. The safest pickups are below. See all pickups.
| Pickups rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota Tundra CrewMax 4WDPickup · Large | 0 | 95 |
| 2 | Toyota Tacoma Double long bed 4WDPickup · Small | 9 | 88 |
| 3 | Chevrolet Silverado 3500 crew cab 4WDPickup · Very large | 10 | 85 |
| 4 | Ford F150 hybrid SuperCrew 4WDPickup · Large | 13 | 77 |
| 5 | Honda Ridgeline crew cab 4WDPickup · Small | 15 | 73 |
| 18 | Ram 1500 crew cab short bedPickup · Large | 28 | 40 |
Earlier models
In the earlier IIHS study of 2019–2020 models, the Ram 1500 crew cab short bed had a driver death rate of 34 (range 20–48) and ranked 71st of 127. The newer rate is lower.
Common questions
Is the Ram 1500 crew cab short bed a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Ram 1500 crew cab short bed is close to the middle of the pack for driver safety. Its driver death rate of 28 per million registered vehicle years is 24% lower than the average, and it ranks 78th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Ram 1500 crew cab short bed compare with other pickups?
It ranks 18th of 23 pickups. The safest is the Toyota Tundra CrewMax 4WD, with a rate of 0.
Is the 2WD or 4WD Ram 1500 crew cab short bed safer?
The 4WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 31, 4WD: 28). Their ranges overlap, so the difference may be down to chance.
Why is this different from the Ram 1500 crew cab short bed's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.