U.S. Rates SUVs for Rollovers
Full-size sport-utility vehicles made by Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. received low marks in the latest federal ratings on rollover risk, the government reported Wednesday.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the popular Ford Expedition and the Lincoln Navigator four-door 4x4s received two-star ratings with one star the lowest score and five stars the highest.
The Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon four-door 4x2s made by GM received two-star ratings as well.
Three-star ratings were given to nine four-door SUVs and two pickups: the Chevrolet Suburban 4x2, GMC Yukon XL 4x2, Honda Passport 4x4, Infiniti QX4 4x4, Isuzu Rodeo 4x4, Lexus RX300 4x2, Lexus RX300 4x4, Nissan Pathfinder 4x4, Pontiac Aztek 4x2; and the Ford F-150 4x2 and Nissan Frontier 4x2.
Rollovers have a higher fatality rate than other kinds of crashes, according to NHTSA. The agency plans to test more 2001 vehicles in coming months.
Questions about the safety of the Ford Explorer have intensified this week in the bare-knuckle corporate battle that erupted with Ford’s decision to replace millions of Firestone tires on Explorers and other vehicles.
Beginning next year, Congress wants safety regulators to add road tests in calculating their rollover rankings for single vehicle crashes.
The rating system, which is available to consumers on the agency’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. SUVs and pickup trucks are more top-heavy and thus more likely to get lower marks than a car or van.
The auto industry has criticized the rating, saying that driver behavior and road conditions are the primary cause of rollovers. Consumer groups do not like the measurements because they believe driving tests should determine the ratings.
Regulators contend 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.
A National Academy of Sciences panel held hearings this week to study the measurements and the driving test. The panel must submit an interim report to Congress by July 1 and a final report by the end of the year. Under a new law, NHTSA must begin conducting rollover driving tests for the 2003 model year.
