GM Sport Utes Perform Poorly in Rollover Tests

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2001 -- Two General Motors sport utes -- the 2001 Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Jimmy -- got the worst ratings in the federal government's new rollover rankings. The Honda Accord sedan got the best rating.

The two-wheel-drive versions of the Blazer and the Jimmy were the only vehicles tested to earn a dismal one out of five stars, indicating a greater than 40 percent chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash. Four-wheel-drive versions of those vehicles got a two-star rating, on a par with the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ford Explorer.

The tests conducted for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were prompted largely by the increasing popularity of SUVs and other light trucks as family vehicles. The ratings are compiled mathematically rather than through on-road testing of vehicles, a compromise criticized by automakers, consumer advocates, the insurance industry and nearly everyone else.

Adrian Lund of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said the test was imperfect but "a good step in the right direction." He urged motorists to use the rollover rankings along with front and side-impact crash test ratings to make buying decisions.

NHTSA Rollover Results
NHTSA Crash Tests
Insurance Institute Tests

More than 10,000 Americans are killed in rollovers each year. Eighty percent of them are not using seat belts and are either partially or entirely ejected from the vehicles.

NHTSA tested 35 vehicles in the first round of tests. By April, it will have ratings for 80 popular models.