NHTSA: 2014 Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra Are First 5-Star Full-size Pickups

General Motors is continuing to lead a safety renaissance in the full-size pickup segment with the 2014 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra: The pair recently became the first entries from that class to earn 5-Star Overall Vehicle Scores from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) since the agency tightened up standards in 2011. More specifically, the duo was awarded 5 stars for both occupant protection in front- and side-crash scenarios, and received 4 stars in rollover testing.

And to be clear, although no rivals to the 2014 Chevy Silverado or GMC Sierra have been recognized as 5-star performers, all light-duty cab configurations of the GM pair have garnered the honor.

A key factor in the achievement, according to Gay Kent, GM general director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness: “Our incredibly capable trucks have been engineered to be some of the safest. We’ve designed the vehicle structure, strategically placed high-strength steel and developed the occupant restraint system to achieve high levels of safety performance.”

But as Kent also points out, “This level of vehicle performance is complemented by a full array of other advanced safety features to help protect our customers, no matter which new Silverado or Sierra they choose.”

Among them:

• The Safety Alert Seat, which warns drivers of possible road hazards through directional vibrations
• Forward collision alert, developed to warn drivers if they’re approaching other vehicles too quickly
• Lane departure warning, to alert drivers if their vehicles start to drift out of their proper lanes
• A rear-vision camera system, with dynamic guidelines, that displays images on an 8-inch screen
• Available trailer-sway control, capable of automatically adjusting braking or engine power to mitigate trailer swaying