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US says popular SUVs better in rollover tests

WASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) - Top-selling sport utility vehicles, most equipped with electronic systems to boost stability, posted average to good results in 2006 U.S. government rollover tests, figures showed on Tuesday.

Regulators cited improvement while safety advocates greeted the news cautiously, saying updated crash statistics due later this year would provide a clearer picture of rollover dangers and whether updated safety systems are beneficial for SUVs.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some models did better at keeping all four wheels on the ground during this year's road test than in previous years. But the SUV class as a whole continues to pose the greatest rollover risk among major makes and models.

Much of the SUV class, including the best-selling Ford (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Explorer and the Chevy Tahoe (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research), still has a 20 percent chance of rolling in a single-vehicle crash, safety figures showed. The chances for a similar accident were halved for most sedans.

Safety experts agree a high center of gravity and a narrow wheel base continue to make many SUVs more prone to roll than a car in many cases. The chance of tipping and rolling in any vehicle increases with sharp turns or sudden maneuvers, especially at highway speeds.

Preliminary U.S. highway safety statistics for 2005 -- the latest available -- show that fatalities involving SUVs, minivans and pickups rose 4.3 percent to more than 13,000.

The preliminary figures did not detail rollover crashes but in previous years rollovers accounted for several thousand deaths annually.

As in previous years, none of the SUVs, pickups or vans earned top ratings in the NHTSA five-star scale. A five-star rating represents a rollover risk of less than 10 percent.

The best-selling SUV in the United States, the Explorer, posted three stars, as did the Tahoe and the Ford Escape. Chrysler's (DCXGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) (DCX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Chevy Trailblazer posted four stars.

Two thirds of 2006 models, including popular SUVs, offer a system as optional or standard equipment that senses electronically when a vehicle might roll and automatically adjusts braking and steering to help maintain vehicle control, according to the industry's top trade group, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

The government has embraced the concept.

"We have worked hard to encourage automakers to install the kind of safety technology needed to make cars safer, prevent crashes and save lives," said Jacqueline Glassman, acting administrator of the safety agency.

The industry and regulators cite data showing stability systems can significantly reduce crashes and potentially save lives. Safety advocates agree the early analysis is promising.

"Those are genuine and reliable (results)," said Jerry Donaldson, director of research for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, an alliance of consumer, insurance, and health and safety groups.

But Donaldson said updated crash data and analysis would reveal more about stability systems. He also said the government's rollover road test omits a crucial cause of real world crashes -- debris or a curb that "trips" a car turning at a sharp angle.

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