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June 09, 2004
Roll Over and Die Continued; Rollovers Are Your Fault!
My bumper sticker, Roll Over and Die, has gained even more gravitas! Don't believe me--read the New York Times and note how GM is blaming rollovers on drivers (the auto industry used to blame accidents on drivers and advocate driver education rather than make their cars safer with basic things like seat belts): "The rear-wheel-drive version of the Ford Explorer, the nation's best-selling sport utility vehicle, tipped up on two wheels during a rollover test performed by the government, according to results released Monday. [...] "The government said three other popular S.U.V.'s tipped during tests: the Chevrolet Tahoe and the GMC Yukon, both by General Motors, as well as the rear-wheel-drive version of the Mercury Mountaineer, also made by Ford. The extended cab version of a pickup truck made by Toyota, the Tacoma, also tipped up on two wheels. "The results underscore that sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks are not as safe as many consumers believe because they ride higher from the ground than passenger cars do. Generally speaking, S.U.V.'s and pickup trucks have higher fatality rates for their occupants than passenger cars, and substantially higher death rates than minivans. "...at least one version of four of the six S.U.V.'s tested tipped up on two wheels; both versions of the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon did so. The Dodge Durango and the Honda Pilot did not. Dodge is a unit of DaimlerChrysler. [...] "Consumer groups have been sharply critical of the government's new testing because it has inflated grades for some vehicles; even the Tacoma that tipped up on two wheels received four of five stars on the test, a finding that baffled some experts. [...] "G.M., in a statement, pointed to drivers, not vehicles, as the real rollover problem.
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