It appears as though sport utility vehicles are getting safer, in regards to rollover safety, as the 2007 model year saw a sharp increase in the number of SUVs that performed well in government rollover crash tests. Seventy-eight percent of the SUVs currently on the U.S. market received a four-star rating in the rollover tests, compared to just 48 a year ago and only one in 2001.
According to MSNBC, the increase of four-star rated SUVs is because more vehicles are coming equipped with anti-rollover technology, a feature that will become mandatory by 2012. Rollovers are responsible for more than 30% of all deaths on U.S. roads despite accounting for only 3% of all accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rates on a five-star scale. Five-stars means a vehicle has up to a 10 percent chance of rolling over in a one-car crash. A four-star vehicle has a 10 percent to 20 percent risk and a three-star vehicle has a 20 percent to 30 percent. No SUV has ever earned a five-star rating.
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08/29, 10:25 AM
posted by:
Commodore
For any other car segment, this would increase sales, except for SUVs. I think people care more about MPG than safety lately.
08/29, 10:43 AM
posted by:
global_lightning
Coming soon to SUVs:
Training wheels and boat anchors.
08/29, 10:53 AM
posted by:
HoosierHero
lol just in time!- now that everyone is switching back to smaller vehicles.
08/29, 11:01 AM
posted by:
55amg
should have something to shoot to the road when the car flips over to flip the car back up
08/29, 11:16 AM
posted by:
jJayC08
I would think the Volvo XC90 would get a five star rollover crash test rating. But last time I checked, it faired just below five stars, and now Ford is using that technology on it’s Escape and a few other SUVS. Kudos to Ford for the advancement though, but generally speaking how many cars get a five star rating?
08/29, 12:09 PM
posted by:
Madcapp
Just buy a car.
08/29, 12:29 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
What some d*ckheads need to get through their thick skulls is that you need to modify your driving behaviour when driving an SUV. You don’t drive into a sharp corner while going 70+ MPH…that’s just asking for a roll-over. But I guess morons do wipe themselves off our genetic genepool, so perhaps it’s good for the rest of us after all. Most of these drivers should win a Darwin award for their sheer stupidity.
08/29, 2:38 PM
posted by:
joshthenurse
1c3d0g- that is really an ignorant comment. Rollovers result from a variety of reasons such as people losing control during a swerve maneuver or their vehicle leaving the roadway. People who assume that everyone who rolls their vehicle because they are driving it like a sports car are plainly ignorant. As far as your comment about people wiping themselves out of the gene pool- what about all the passengers who are killed when they are involved in a rollover accident? Explain how that is good for the rest of us? Many people drive SUVs because they are the only vehicles that suit their needs. Keeping them safe with new active and passive safety systems should be a priority of all auto makers.
08/29, 3:38 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
No, what keeps everyone safe is people with something callled *common sense* driving their SUV’s properly. No gizmo or gadget in this world will save you from catastrophe if you’re a bad driver to begin with. And believe me, there are TONS of bad drivers out there, doing everything behind the wheel, from eating/drinking to make-up and text messaging/e-mailing from their cellphones/pda’s etc. These are the scumbags that get other innocent people killed in the first place.
08/29, 5:16 PM
posted by:
0GSharK6
Aren’t the most deaths in Corvettes caused from rollovers? Myself, I think this rollover prevention technology should be mandatory as an option.. as in, make it mandatory to have this extra technology optional. All these extra technologies and airbags, as much more safe as they are going to make cars, are just more things to go wrong.
08/29, 5:40 PM
posted by:
jJayC08
I agree with the idea that the equipement should be mandantory, but optional.
1c3d0g, you cannot apply all, or a majority of rollovers to this factor. I personally know quite a few people who rode over “something” and the tire popped; and come to think of it, one of those friends rolled over it too, but no suprise as it was a Jeep Wrangler.
There are many bad drivers out there, yes, but not all of them drive an SUV, and not all of those SUVs are rolled over because of bad driving.