 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
SUV rollovers are violent accidents and a new study says lives could be saved just by stronger roofs.
More than 10,000 people die each year in rollover crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently conducted a study on SUV rollovers and came up with a solution to bring the number of deaths attributed to rollovers down.
"Roofs that crush too easily are allowing people to be injured and killed," said Adrian Lund, President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Institute tested roofs on 11 SUV's. What their data showed was that vehicles with stronger roofs have fewer injuries or deaths. Stronger roofs, like the one found on the Nissan Xterra, could cut injury risk by a third.
"It's hardly deformed at all. No, the door opens."
According to the study, certain model years of the Ford Explorer, Chevy Blazer, and Jeep Grand Cherokee have the weakest roofs. The study contradicts the position of the auto industry, which has argued for years that roof strength doesn't make a big difference in rollover crashes.
The industry calls the study "flawed" and says there's no clear evidence linking roof strength to injury risk. But Scott Duncan believes a crushed roof killed his wife in a rollover. A jury agreed. "The roof should not collapse down on the occupant when the vehicle rolls over," Duncan said.
The government is moving to require stronger roofs, but the Institute says, still not strong enough.
Click here to watch the SUV evaluations by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Click below to see the evaluations by color ratings for newly-tested midsize SUVs
ABC 7 News to leave comments on news stories.