marekatlanta71
09.06.04, 13:46
The federal government released new results regarding vehicle rollover risk
for some models Monday, including much-anticipated results for the Ford
Explorer. The Explorer was given an overall rating of "three" on the five-star
system, meaning the vehicle showed a rollover risk that was about the same as
other vehicles in its class. The new ratings are based on track-test
observations in rapid left-right swerving at 35 and 50 mph. In the new tests,
it was noted that the Explorer, along with several other SUV models tested,
tipped up on two wheels. Of the 30-plus cars the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed rollover ratings for, the Mazda RX-8
was the first and only vehicle to earn a five-star rating, meaning the risk of
rollover in a single-car crash is less than ten percent. Most of the SUVs
tested in this round - including variants of the Mercury Mountaineer, Ford
Explorer Sport Trac, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon - scored three stars, meaning
that the percentage risk is between 20 and 30 percent. Most of the passenger
cars in the test received a better four-star rating, which corresponds to a
10- to 20-percent risk, mostly due to their lower center of mass. Meanwhile,
Ford Motor Co. is still dealing with the aftermath of its Firestone-Explorer
tire-defect rollover scandal in the courts. Just last week, a San Diego court
made a $369 million judgment against Ford Motor Co. for a motorist who had
been paralyzed in a rollover accident.
