The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released its 2008 rollover crash statistics for trucks and vans.
The best results for vans in 2008 were:
Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, Honda Odyssey, Hyundai Entourage, Kia Sedona, and Nissan Quest. Each earned five starts in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests.
The best results for pickups in 2008 include:
Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Dodge Dakota, GMC Sierra 1500, Honda Ridgeline, Mitsubishi Raider, and Toyota Tacoma.
While roll over crashes for passenger vehicles amounted to only three percent of crashes, nearly 33 percent of vehicle fatalities resulted from roll overs. Vehicles such as SUV's and pickups have a higher center of gravity making them more susceptible to roll over.
Speed is a major contributor to fatal roll over crashes. Nearly 40 percent of crashes involved excessive speed, and 75 percent of fatal roll overs took place where the posted limit was 55 mph or higher.
The facts:
1. Most rollovers do not involve another vehicle
2. Alcohol is a major contributor in at least 50 percent of fatal rollovers
3. Undivided rural roads are a common place for rollovers
4. Failure to buckle safety belts results in more severe injuries and fatalities.
These facts suggest driver behavior, such as distraction, inattentiveness, speeding, and impaired driving, play a significant role in these fatal crashes.
For additional information, visit www.safecar.gov and use the interactive search feature to find the safety ratings for your vehicle.