It has taken on new importance because of the growth in popularity of the relatively unstable sport-utility vehicle and the rash of rollover accidents involving Ford Explorers with Firestone tires. Under a law passed in response to those accidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration must begin driving tests next year to determine vehicle rollover risks. Car shoppers must have access to that information for 2003 model year vehicles. The theory is that a short, wide object is much less likely to topple than a tall, skinny one. Consumer advocates and manufacturers have attacked the standard as too simplistic, but they also disagree on alternatives.
Automakers say the most important factors in rollover are driver behaviors and road conditions.
Someone driving fast around a curve on a dark, rainy night is much more likely to flip than a careful driver on a sunny day, regardless of the vehicle. Attempting to identify one single dynamic test that could be used for a consumer rating system is difficult, at best. Looking for a standard Consumers Union told the panel that although driver behaviors and conditions are important, drivers want a system to codify the different risks between models. In tests that use drivers making sharp turns in a vehicle, there is a risk that safety equipment added to the vehicle to prevent actual rollovers would skew results.