VEHICLE ROLLOVER CHRONOLOGY

30 YEARS, THOUSANDS OF DEATHS AND INJURIES,
AND STILL NO SAFETY PERFORMANCE STANDARD

Deaths in rollover crashes are on an upward trend and increased to a record 10,553 in 2004, 259 more rollover deaths in Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) than occurred in 2003

Apr 1973: ANPRM on proposed standard for rollover resistance.

Sept 1986: Rep. Tim Wirth petitions for rollover standard based on Static Stability Factor.

Dec 1987: Rep. Tim Wirth petition denied by NHTSA.

June 1988: Consumers Union petition on rollover filed.

Oct 1991: Congress requests report regarding rollover and roof crush standards
(FY'92 DOT Appropriations Act, Pub. L. 102-143, S. Rept. 102-148).

Dec 1991: Congress requires NHTSA rulemaking to protect against unreasonable risk of rollover
(ISTEA, Title II, Part B, Sec. 2503(1), Pub. L. 102-240).

Jan 1992: ANPRM on rollover standard issued.

Apr 1992: NHTSA issues Report to Congress, Rollover Prevention and Roof Crush.

June 1994: Rollover standard rulemaking terminated; rollover information proposed instead.

July 1994: NHTSA issues notice on vehicle safety consumer information.

July 1994: Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety(Advocates) and Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety (IIHS) petition NHTSA to reconsider decision to terminate rulemaking on rollover standard.

Sept 1994: Congress requires National Academy of Sciences (NAS) study of vehicle safety information (FY'95 DOT Appropriations Act, Pub. L. 103-331, see H. Rept. 103-543, Part 1); NHTSA suspends rulemaking on vehicle safety consumer information until study completed.

May 1996: NAS study of vehicle safety information, Shopping for Safety, issued.

May 1996: NHTSA issues rollover status report.

June 1996: NHTSA reopens 1994 docket on vehicle safety consumer information.

June 1996: NHTSA denies Advocates/IIHS July 1994 petition for reconsideration of decision to terminate rulemaking on rollover standard.

Aug 1996: Consumers Union (supported by Advocates) petitions NHTSA for rollover standard.

Apr 1998: NHTSA proposes revised SUV rollover warning label.

Mar 1999: NHTSA issues final rule on revised SUV rollover warning label.

June 2000: NHTSA proposes rollover consumer information based on Static Stability Factor (SSF)
as part of New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Oct 2000: Congress funds NAS study of NHTSA proposed rollover information rating based on SSF
(FY=01 DOT Appropriations Act, Pub. L. 106-346, see H.Rept. 106-940).

Nov 2000: Congress requires dynamic testing for rollover consumer information rating program
(TREAD Act, Sec. 12, Pub.L. 106-414).

Jan 2001: NHTSA begins publishing rollover ratings based on SSF.

July 2001: NHTSA issues request for comments on developing dynamic test as basis for rollover
Rating consumer information program beginning in 2003.

Feb 2002: NAS study, Rating System for Rollover Resistance, An Assessment, issued.

Oct 2002: NHTSA issues NPRM on dynamic test procedure for rollover consumer information.

Feb 2003: Senate Commerce Committee holds public hearing on SUV safety.

Apr 2003: NHTSA releases statistics revealing that 10,666 people died in rollover crashes in 2002, continuing the trend of increasing deaths in rollover crashes.

Oct. 2003: NHTSA Final Policy Statement adopts "fishhook" maneuver as dynamic test procedure to be combined with SSF in rollover consumer information ratings.

Feb. 2004: NHTSA releases rollover ratings based on combined SSF and dynamic test performance of vehicles. Every vehicle tested receives at least one star no matter how rollover prone the vehicle and how poorly it performs. No SUV received a 5-star rating for rollover stability.