Rollover and roof strength

Highlights from the Institute's research since 1969

News releases

June 2, 2010 New rollover test results: Honda Accord Crosstour and 4 other midsize SUVs are rated marginal

February 4, 2010 First time Institute ratings small pickups for rollover protection; only one model rates good in test that assures strength of roof

August 20, 2009 Smart Fortwo rates good for roof strength; test is designed to assess & compare occupant protection in rollover crashes

March 24, 2009 Roof strength is focus of new rating system; 4 of 12 small SUVs evaluated earn top marks

Status Report newsletter special issues

Vol. 44, No. 3, March 24, 2009: Special issue: roof strength — Four small SUVs earn good ratings in new test for roof strength that's designed to help consumers pick vehicles that best protect them in rollovers • Small cars benefit from stronger roofs, Institute analysis finds • How NHTSA underestimates the rollover death and injury problem • Tougher roof strength rules for cars, SUVs, and pickups are decades overdue • Dynamic test using instrumented dummies would be the gold standard for assessing roof performance in rollovers

Vol. 42, No. 4, April 19, 2007: Special issue: driver death rates

Vol. 40, No. 3, March 19, 2005: Special issue: driver death rates

Status Report newsletter articles

Vol. 46, No. 4, April 26, 2011: Rollover airbags are expected to become standard

Vol. 45, No. 12, December 2, 2010: Strong roofs help to reduce injury risk when vehicles roll over

Vol. 45, No. 8, August 21, 2010: Roof strength ratings for more than 100 passenger vehicles, most of which earn top mark of good

Vol. 45, No. 1, February 6, 2010: Institute rates small pickups for rollover and side impact crash protection

Vol. 44, No. 6, June 11, 2009: Roofs that meet a new federal standard likely will be nearly as strong as needed to earn top ratings in Institute tests

Vol. 43, No. 2, March 15, 2008: Strength of the roofs on SUVs influences the risk of occupant injury in rollover crashes, new Institute study finds • Demonstration of strong vs. weak roofs shows why roof strength matters • Rollovers in which drivers died demonstrate need for strong roofs on SUVs

Vol. 41, No. 1, January 28, 2006: NHTSA's roof crush proposal is a step in the right direction, but only a step

Vol. 40, No. 9, November 19, 2005: Rollover risk for 15-passenger vans goes up as occupants are added

Regulatory comments

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning new safety standard to mitigate occupant ejection, particularly in rollover crashes (Docket No. NHTSA-2009-0183), February 1, 2010

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration responding to Padmanaban and Moffatt comments on IIHS study "Roof Strength and Injury Risk in Rollover Crashes" (Docket No. NHTSA-2008-0015), May 13, 2008

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning improving passenger vehicle roof crush resistance (Docket No. NHTSA-2008-0015), March 27, 2008

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning suggested approaches for enhancing the New Car Assessment Program (Docket No. NHTSA-2006-26555), April 10, 2007

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning proposed changes to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 216, Roof Crush Resistance (Docket No. NHTSA-2005-22143), November 18, 2005

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning initiatives to address the mitigation of vehicle rollover (Docket No. NHTSA-2003-14622, Notice 1), August 11, 2003

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning the agency's plans to evaluate dynamic tests of rollover risk for consumer information (Docket No. NHTSA-2001-9663), November 21, 2002

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning vehicle roof crush resistance (Docket No. NHTSA-1999-5572, Notice 2), December 19, 2001

Comment to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concerning the proposed rollover rating system (Docket No. NHTSA-2000-6859), July 31, 2000

Testimony

Statement before the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, IIHS research on vehicle roof crush, Stephen L. Oesch, June 4, 2008

Statement before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, The New Car Assessment Program Suggested Approaches for Future Program Enhancements, Adrian K. Lund, March 7, 2007

Rollover and roof strength

Fatality Facts: Occupants of cars, pickups, SUVs, and vans

Q&A: Rollover and roof strength

Selected research bibliography

News releases

Status Report newsletter special issues

Status Report newsletter articles

Regulatory comments

Testimony

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