Government Releases More Vehicle Rollover Risk Ratings

The government released rollover risk ratings for 17 more vehicles Friday, the third set issued in the agency’s campaign to warn shoppers that some vehicles are more likely than others to topple in a crash.

The Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Stratus four-door sedans got the government’s highest five-star rating. Three 4x4 extended cab trucks--the Ford Ranger, Mazda B-Series and Toyota Tacoma--got two stars, the lowest rating of any pickup.

The rating system, which is available to consumers on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Web site, does not predict the likelihood of a crash but estimates the risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

The ratings are based on an arithmetic formula using the vehicle’s center of gravity and width. Sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks are more top-heavy and thus more likely to get lower marks than a car or van.

In the latest ratings, three cars--the Dodge Neon four-door, Plymouth Neon four-door and Toyota Echo four-door--received four stars.

Three-star ratings were given to the Toyota RAV4 four-door 4x2 and 4x4, Dodge Durango four-door 4x2 and Honda CR-V four-door 4x4 SUVs; Toyota Tundra, Dodge Ram and Mazda B-Series 4x2 extended cabs; and the Ford Ranger 4x2 extended cab.

The Toyota 4Runner four-door 4x2 SUV was given two stars.

The auto industry has been critical of the ratings, arguing that driver behavior and road conditions are the primary cause of rollovers. Consumer groups do not like the measurements because they believe that driving tests should determine the ratings.

NHTSA argues that the ratings correspond to real-world accidents--more than 60% of fatalities in SUVs and more than 40% of deaths in pickups happen in rollovers. By comparison, 22% of car deaths involve rollovers.