Rollover Risks Still High for Some SUVs, Pickups

June 2005

If you think you’re safe in your redesigned sport utility vehicle, think again. Even with safety modifications, some sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks are still prone to rollovers. That’s according to recently released 2005 rankings by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The government report ranked the most dangerous SUVs and pickup trucks:

• Ford Explorer Sport Trac - 34% chance of rollover
• Ford Ranger Ext. Cab/ Mazda Ext. Cab - 30% chance of a rollover
• Ford Ranger/ Mazda B Series - 30% chance of a rollover
• Ford E-150 (cargo van) - 29% chance of a rollover
• GMC Yukon/ Chevrolet Tahoe (SUV) - 28% chance of rollover

Many SUVs have been redesigned to be lower, wider and more carlike in their handling and engineering after mounting reports in the late 1990s cited their rollover tendency. Some are also equipped with electronic stability control, a new technology that helps drivers maintain control of the vehicles when they swerve.

While rollovers occur in roughly 3 percent of collisions, they account for about a third of all vehicle deaths in the United States each year.

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