People choose the Ford F-150 as the truck for their home or business for a variety of reasons, whether because of how it looks, what luxury features it offers, or the amount of cargo it’s able to haul and tow. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) selected it – in its SuperCrew and SuperCab body styles – as its Top Safety Pick for its performance in multiple crash scenarios.
According to Ford, “A cross-functional group of Ford truck veterans worked thousands of hours to deliver improved durability, capability, fuel economy and safety. The team created 31 safety-related innovations – including new structures that manage crash forces.” That crew developed a patented extruded aluminum roof crossmember and a frame crossmember to give the F-150 more structural integrity in the event of an accident. Lightweight nylon hinge pillar reinforcements and specially designed wheel blockers are there to help manage the destructive energy generated during a collision.
The work that Blue Oval group put in certainly paid off. The 2016 truck received the IIHS’s best score – “Good” – for a variety of reasons, including the strength of its roof and for its performance in small and moderate overlap crash scenarios, and side impacts. Not only is the F-150 the IIHS’s Top Safety Pick, but it’s also the only full-size, light-duty truck to be awarded five stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for its Overall Vehicle Score, and driver and passenger protection in all of the NHTSA’s crash test modes.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
