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WASHINGTON - The government's traffic safety agency is expanding its rollover rating system for cars and trucks.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's old rollover ratings were based on height and width as well as a test that includes a sharp turn at up to 50 mph. Five stars are given to vehicles that roll over 10 percent of the time or less, and one star to vehicles that roll over between 40 and 50 percent of the time.
The new system, available Monday on NHTSA's Web site (www.nhtsa.gov) retains the star rating but also lets consumers compare similar vehicles and shows the percentage chance a vehicle would roll over in a crash similar to NHTSA's test. So far, the system only rates vehicles from the 2004 model year.
Rollovers represent only 3 percent of all crashes, but they are responsible for one-third of the 43,200 deaths on U.S. highways each year.
Here are the best and worst performers among 2004 vehicles tested so far:
PASSENGER CARS: Best: Mazda RX-8, five stars, 8 percent chance of rollover. Worst: Subaru Outback wagon, four stars, 15.5 percent chance of rollover.
PICKUP TRUCKS: Best: Chevrolet Silverado 4x2, four stars, 15.9 percent. Worst: Toyota Tacoma 4x4, three stars, 28.3 percent.
SUVs: Best: Chrysler Pacifica 4x4, four stars, 13 percent. Worst: Ford Explorer Sport Trac 4x2, two stars, 34.8 percent.
VANS: Best: Nissan Quest, four stars, 12.1 percent. Worst: Toyota Sienna, four stars, 15.9 percent.