The agency has been considering how to measure propensity for and safeguard against roll overs for more than 20 years. The sticker recently was changed to a graphic depicting a car tilting to one side. Despite the warnings, SUVs and other light trucks remain popular with consumers, and now represent about half of all new-vehicle sales in the country, according to federal reports. Consequently, the incidence of fatal roll overs continues to escalate. Further, the data suggests that up to a third of those crashes were single-car accidents.
Groups clash over rating system To some, the proposed ratings system is long overdue.
We're big believers that there should be federal standards. We're of the belief that no vehicle should roll over without a tripping mechanism. A tripping mechanism is anything that destabilizes a vehicle. In cars with a lower center of gravity, a jerk or curb would not cause a roll over except under exceptional conditions. Critics of static tests say they are inaccurate and don't take into account other factors that contribute to rolling over.